4
You duped me, O LORD, and I let
myself be duped; you were too strong
for me, and you triumphed. All the
day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
I say to myself, I
will not mention him, I will speak in
his name no more. But then it becomes
like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary
holding it in, I cannot endure it.
(Makes me think of the scene in
the first The Matrix, when Cypher takes over
the ship while everyone's in the Matrix, and he
tells Trinity that Morpheus tricked them, and
wasn't completely forthcoming with what life
was like outside of the Matrix)
Responsorial Psalm - ("Your love
is finer than life -Psalm 63" by Marty Haugen):
R: Oh God, I
seek You. My soul thirsts for You. Your
love is finer than life.
1.
As a dry and weary desert land, so my soul
is thirsting for my God, and my flesh is
faint for the God I seek, for Your love is
more than life.
R: Oh God, I
seek You. My soul thirsts for You. Your
love is finer than life.
2.
I think of You when at night I rest. I
reflect upon Your steadfast love. I will
cling to You, Oh Lord my God. In the
shadow of Your wings I sing.
R: Oh God, I seek You. My soul
thirsts for You. Your love is finer than
life.
3.
I will bless Your name all the days I
live. I raise my hands and call on You. My
joyful lips shall sing your praise. You
alone have filled my hungry soul.
To
hear the music (without words), go to
St. John Vianney
sound clips. and click on "Ps
63 3 Your Love is Finer Than Life Haugen."
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans
12:1-2):
Do not conform
yourselves to this age but be
transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that you may discern what is
the will of God, what is good and
pleasing and perfect.
Gospel - A proclamation from the
Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew
16:21-27):
16
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he
17
must go to Jerusalem and suffer
greatly from the elders, the chief
priests, and the scribes, and be
killed and on the third day be
raised.
"STEWARDSHIP
IS …WHAT I DO AFTER I SAY: “I BELIEVE.” -
In today’s second reading, St.
Paul exhorts the Romans to total
stewardship. Brothers and sisters, he urges, “.
. . offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God.”
Weekly Reflections ~ Jeremiah
never wanted to be a prophet and doing God’s
will did not bring him honor nor respect. He
was mocked and laughed at and some even tried
to kill him. Doing God’s will, standing up for
what is the loving and right thing to do is not
easy and is seldom popular. It takes courage.
Pray for the courage to do God’s will no matter
what the cost.
Do not conform yourselves to
this age, but be transformed by the renewal of
your mind. Romans 12:2"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
I will clothe him with
your robe, and gird him with your
sash, and give over to him your
authority. He shall be a father to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to
the house of Judah.
I will fix him like a
peg in a sure spot, to be a place of
honor for his family.
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm
138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
R.
(8bc) Lord, when I cried out, you
answered, and strengthened the spirit
within me.
I
will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all
my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing
your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
R.
(8bc) Lord, when I cried out, you
answered, and strengthened the spirit
within me.
I
will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R.
(8bc) Lord, when I cried out, you
answered, and strengthened the spirit
within me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he
sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R.
(8bc) Lord, when I cried out, you
answered, and strengthened the spirit
within me.
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans
11:33-36):
I will give you the
keys to the kingdom of heaven.
14
Whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven; and whatever you
loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven."
"STEWARDSHIP IS …WHAT I DO AFTER
I SAY: “I BELIEVE.” -
In today’s reading, St. Paul
reminds the Romans – and us – that all things
come from God: “For from Him and through Him
and for Him all things are.” Good stewards
understanding that all is gift and share
generously the gifts of time, talent and
treasure with which they’ve been blessed.
Weekly Reflections - Who is Jesus to you? Is he a miracle
worker, judge, superhuman, or a friend? We
cannot take walks or sit down and chat with
Jesus. We know the stories about his life and
teachings; but that all happened a long time
ago. Still, Jesus is with us inviting us to
spend time with him and learn from him..
Consider your relationship with Jesus and pray
for the grace to allow Jesus to be your best
friend and counselor.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me. Psalm 138:
3"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
---------------------
Here's a video for a show I have
loved since first seeing it...this is the theme
song for "Saving Grace" by Everlast. Enjoy.
The foreigners who
join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him, Loving the name
of the LORD, and becoming his
servants-- All who keep the sabbath
free from profanation and hold to my
covenant,
Them I will bring to
my holy mountain and make joyful in
my house of prayer; Their holocausts
and sacrifices will be acceptable on
my altar, For my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all
peoples.
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm
67:2-3, 5, 6, 8):
R. (4) O
God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R.
O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R.
O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear
him!
R.
O God, let all the nations praise you!
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans
11:13-15, 29-32):
"STEWARDSHIP IS ...WHAT I DO
AFTER I SAY: "I BELIEVE." - In today's second
reading, St. Paul tells the Romans, "God's
gifts and his call are irrevocable." To
what is God calling me today? What gifts
are mine to share?
Weekly Reflections - Today's
Gospel recounts the story of a Canaanite woman
who asks Jesus to help her daughter who was
possessed by a demon. Although Jesus
ignores her, she keeps after him and in the end
her faith is rewarded. It is easy to
think of our own community and ignore the needs
of others. But that is not what
discipleship is about. We are called to
serve others according to the talents and
resources we have. It is not required
that we even like those who need help. It
is not our place to judge their "worthiness."
We are simply to do what we can to help others.
Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do
what is just. Isaiah 56:1"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
----------------------
-A note on the Weekly
Reflections section above: In the homily
today, the priest said something to clarify the
social norms in today's Gospel reading at the
time of Jesus, when the woman called out to him
in public. A woman wouldn't call out to a
man in public like that. She was breaking
social boundaries and rules. This is
partly why Jesus didn't answer at first (there
are proper ways to ask for things, plus she was
a Gentile (a non-Jew), which carried the
additional burden of the possibility of
defilement on the man if he answered the
woman's call or something like that). But
he ends up answering her. The lesson?
Our duty as disciples is to reach out to
everyone who calls on us, even the undesirable
ones...not to be selective to whom we respond.
Friday,
August 15, 2008:
(Solemnity
of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Readings for today: Revelation 11:19a;
12:1-6a, 10ab / 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 / Luke
1:39-56
Reading I - A reading from the
book of Revelation (Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a,
10ab):
Its tail swept away a
third of the stars in the sky and
hurled them down to the earth. Then
the dragon stood before the woman
about to give birth, to devour her
child when she gave birth.
12
for "he subjected everything under
his feet." But when it says that
everything has been subjected, it is
clear that it excludes the one who
subjected everything to him.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy
Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:39-56):
1
Then the LORD
said, "Go outside and stand on the
mountain before the LORD; the LORD
will be passing by." A strong and
heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the
LORD--but the LORD was not in the
wind. After the wind there was an
earthquake--but the LORD was not in
the earthquake.
"STEWARDSHIP
IS …WHAT I DO AFTER I SAY: “I BELIEVE.”
- Elijah
recognized the voice of God not in the strong
and heavy wind, not in the earthquake, and not
in the fire, but in a tiny whispering sound.
May we find enough quiet in our clamorous world
to hear His voice and discern what He is
calling us to do and be.
Weekly Reflections -
Nothing
can separate us from the love of God. No matter
what may be happening in our lives, no matter
how many stupid, thoughtless things we may have
done. God still loves us and is ready to give
us the grace we need at the moment. This is the
most profound and amazing gift we have been
given and it is difficult for us to understand
or even accept it. Every moment of the day, God
offers us his love and grace. The only thing we
need to do is accept it – not “earn” it. The
more open we become to God’s love and grace,
the more peaceful our spirit becomes and the
better we can cope with whatever happens in our
life. Do you believe in God’s love?
All who are thirsty,
come to the water!
Isaiah 55:1"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
--------------------
I'd like to share an example of
how God has been making His presence known to
me lately:
Almost 2 weeks ago, I was
wondering if I'd ever see the old Houston
Wrestling with Paul Boesch I used to see when I
was a kid...wondering if they'd ever put it out
on dvd or if the programs would be made
available in the future or anything like that.
A few days later, I'm watching channel
39 KHCW TV and catch a promotion for the
station's website, and out of the corner of my
eye, I could swear I saw Paul Boesch and
Houston Wrestling in one of the frames of the
on-air promotion.
So, I jump online and go to
their website and look for
archives page and scroll down the video
list to find Tribute to Paul Boesch Ch 39
Wrestling and get to see a 5 and a half minute
montage of interviews and action shots and
famous matches. It was great! One
of the wrestlers was on Bloodsport with Jean
Claude Van Damme. I remembered a lot of
those wrestlers (Junkyard Dog, Hacksaw Jim
Dougan, Ted Debiase, etc), and how long some
stores have been around (I.W. Marks Jewellers
and Mattress Mac doing live commercials for
Gallery Furniture with Paul Boesch at the
interview area near ringside).
It was a great gift to me, for
which I thank God. It's those types of
experiences that let me know God is near me,
thereby making me feel closer to God, closer to
Jesus and that feels good...the type of good
that can't be bought or sold but is a free gift
from God. Thank you, Almighty Father, and
thank you Jesus!
1
All you who are thirsty, come to the
water! You who have no money, come,
receive grain and eat; Come, without
paying and without cost, drink wine
and milk!
4
When Jesus heard of the death of John
the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to
a deserted place by himself. The
crowds heard of this and followed him
on foot from their towns.
When it was evening,
the disciples approached him and
said, "This is a deserted place and
it is already late; dismiss the
crowds so that they can go to the
villages and buy food for
themselves."
and he ordered the
crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking
5
the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, he said the
blessing, broke the loaves, and gave
them to the disciples, who in turn
gave them to the crowds.
"STEWARDSHIP
IS …WHAT I DO AFTER I SAY: “I BELIEVE.” -
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus feeds the five thousand
with five loaves and two fish. The message of
stewardship is that God’s gifts, shared, will
always be more than enough. Adorer’s Corner:
Psalm 27:04*
Weekly
Reflections - Nothing
can separate us from the love of God. No matter
what may be happening in our lives, no matter
how many stupid, thoughtless things we may have
done. God still loves us and is ready to give
us the grace we need at the moment. This is the
most profound and amazing gift we have been
given and it is difficult for us to understand
or even accept it. Every moment of the day, God
offers us his love and grace. The only thing we
need to do is accept it – not “earn” it. The
more open we become to God’s love and grace,
the more peaceful our spirit becomes and the
better we can cope with whatever happens in our
life. Do you believe in God’s love?
All who
are thirsty, come to the water!
Isaiah 55:1"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Give your servant,
therefore, an understanding heart to
judge your people and to distinguish
right from wrong. For who is able to
govern this vast people of yours?"
So God said to him:
"Because you have asked for this--not
for a long life for yourself, nor for
riches, nor for the life of your
enemies, but for understanding so
that you may know what is right--
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and
understanding that there has never
been anyone like you up to now, and
after you there will come no one to
equal you.
23
"The kingdom of heaven is like a
treasure buried in a field,
24
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.
26
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been
instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household who
brings from his storeroom both the
new and the old."
"STEWARDSHIP IS...WHAT I DO
AFTER I SAY: "I BELIEVE." - "The law of
your mouth is to me more precious than
thousands of gold and silver pieces," says the
psalmist today. Does the amount of my
offering suggest that I could honestly say the
same?
Weekly Reflections ~ Do
you really believe that all things work for the
good of those who have faith? When things
are going well, it seems obvious; but when
there are setbacks and problems, it is easy to
doubt this truth. Discipleship is not an
insurance policy that protects us from the
problems and failures of life. It is a
way of being - a mindset - that keeps us
focused on what is truly important. When
we encounter life's ups and downs, we do not
just passively accept them. Rather, we
see them all as gifts that can teach us
something that will deepen our love of God and
neighbor. In that way, all things work
for our good.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Psalm 119:76"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
And you taught your
people, by these deeds, that those
who are just must be kind; And you
gave your sons good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for
their sins.
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm
86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16:
R. (5a)
Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon
you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R.
Lord, you are good and forgiving.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous
deeds;
you alone are God.
R.
Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and
gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and
fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.
R.
Lord, you are good and forgiving.
Reading II - A reading from a
letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans
8:26-27)
The Spirit comes to
the aid of our weakness; for we do
not know how to pray as we ought, but
the Spirit itself intercedes with
inexpressible groanings.
Let them grow together
until harvest;
11
then at harvest time I will say to
the harvesters, "First collect the
weeds and tie them in bundles for
burning; but gather the wheat into my
barn."'"
13
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest
of plants. It becomes a large bush,
and the 'birds of the sky come and
dwell in its branches.'"
He spoke to them
another parable. "The kingdom of
heaven is like yeast
14
that a woman took and mixed with
three measures of wheat flour until
the whole batch was leavened."
to fulfill what had
been said through the prophet:
16
"I will open my mouth in parables, I
will announce what has lain hidden
from the foundation (of the world)."
To
hear the music (without words), go to
St. John Vianney
sound clips. and click on "Ps
63 3 Your Love is Finer Than Life Haugen."