January 23, 2018

Jan. 23

January 23, 2018:  Tuesday, 3rd week, Ordinary Time


  • 'Mary' pin:  The mother of Jesus (gospel)
  • 'Children [imagine them line-] dancing' tie:  David's dance (1st reading)
  • '[Young] people' tie pin:  Israel (1st reading), crowds (gospel)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season

Listen
Pope Francis
To economic forum:  Your theme, Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World, is timely.  Financial instabilities have brought problems and challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, the socio-economic gap, and new forms of slavery, often rooted in conflict, migration, and social problems.  People risk being reduced to cogs in a machine that exploits then discards them.  It's vital to safeguard the dignity of the human person, offer all people opportunities for integral human development, and implement family-friendly economic policies.  The world of labor must make "being and working together" a program for present and future.  When robotics and other technology is employed, they should contribute to the service of humanity and the protection of our common home.
We can't remain silent in the face of suffering or move ahead as if poverty and injustice had no cause.  It's our responsibility to create conditions to allow each person to live with dignity.  By rejecting indifference and a “throwaway” culture, the entrepreneurial world can effect substantial change by increasing the quality of productivity, creating jobs, respecting labor laws, fighting corruption, promoting justice, and sharing profits equitably.
Post-Chile and Peru, inflight:  The women in the Santiago prison, their ability to change and return to society with the power of the gospel, moved me, as did the children in the Little Prince home in Peru.
I ask pardon if my remarks hurt survivors of abuse, but I can't condemn Bishop Barros without evidence.  I appreciate the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and, like Benedict, have a “zero tolerance” policy....
Archbishop Gomez Requiem for the unborn homily
We witness to and worship of the God of Life.  Praying for the culture of life has long been central to our faith.  Tonight we remember and weep for the lives lost this year; they never even had the chance to be born.  Abortion has long been an “everyday evil,” and we need to make it stop.  We need to build a society that welcomes every life as God's gift.
God comes to us as he did to Jonah and gives us a message to deliver:  he calls us to proclaim the Gospel of life, the good news that he is God of all Creation, Author of life, Father of each of us.  God loves each of us with a personal love, a love that knows our names, made each of us in his image, and knows our hearts' desires.  Announce that we're made for greater things!  Every human life is precious!  Every creature has a reason and purpose.  God gave each of us a different face, different DNA, different fingerprints, little signs that point to something greater and more amazing.  God made a decision to make each of us.  That's how special we are, and that's why the world is a little “less” for every child lost through abortion.  That's why we mourn tonight and know God weeps with us as Jesus did before Lazarus.
He promised us mourners will be comforted.  We believe God will wipe away every tear.  But he calls us to do our part.  Jesus called his first disciples in love and by name and gave them a simple command:  “Come after me...."  Jesus is calling us too, in love and by name, to follow him and be disciples for life carrying the message of God’s love and mercy.  And following Jesus means joining with him to build his Kingdom, in our families, workplaces, communities.  In all we do, Jesus calls us to share our love for God and commitment to the beauty and holiness of human life and creation.  Jesus' way is the way of life!  So we need to continue to resist abortion, reach out to all in need, take care of each other, and treat others with the mercy and compassion we want for ourselves.  If we want life for ourselves, we need to defend the life of others, especially those too weak to protect themselves.  It's a beautiful mission, to share the beauty of the life and teachings of Christ.
“The world in its present form is passing away.”  We're part of something greater, God’s plan of love, the Kingdom of life.  One day there will be no more tears, no more need to hold this Requiem for the Unborn.  Keep following Jesus and proclaiming his beautiful message of life!  Ask Mary to help us all to know the greater things we're made for, and God's precious love for every life, for each of us and every human person. Homily video, OneLife LA Angelus News article
Read
Wordle: Readings 1-28-14

  • 2 Sm 6:12b-15, 17-19  David danced before God with abandon as he and the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord and placed it in the tent.  He made offerings before God, blessed the people in God's name, and distributed to each man and woman bread, meat, and a raisin cake.
  • Ps 24:7-10  "Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!"  Let the king of glory come in:  the Lord of hosts, strong and mighty!
  • Mk 3:31-35  Jesus, after crowd told him his family called him from outside:  “Who are my mother and brothers?  Whoever does God's will....”
Reflect
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Celebrating the sacraments":  When David brought the ark of God to Jerusalem, he gave the distinct impression that God was present at the ark.  He offered sacrifice, danced before the Lord to shouts of joy and the horn, blessed the crowd, and gave each person bread, meat, and cake.  When we enter church and receive Communion, would an observer conclude we believed Jesus was present and were receiving him?...
  • Passionist:  Earlier, Jesus’ family heard the crowds had made it impossible for Jesus and his disciples to eat; they decided to bring him home because he was "out of his mind."  I hear Jesus calling us to go beyond family, and telling his family he can't leave; he has to keep speaking of God's love and working miracles.  We too may be called to leave former ways to fulfill our calling.  May we see each other as family and come together to share the Good News.
  • DailyScripture.net:  "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister":  In today's gospel Jesus points to a reality of relationships higher than blood:  our relationship with God and his people.   God offers us union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, author and source of love.  God's love never fails, forgets, compromises, lies, or disappoints; it's consistent, unconditional, unstoppable, though we may choose to separate ourselves from him.  He pursues, loves, and calls us no matter what.  He created us to be united with him and share in his love and unity.  He wants all our relationships to be rooted in his love.  The baptized who live as Jesus' disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here and in heaven.  Jesus shows that true kinship is more than flesh and blood; our adoption as God's children transforms our relationships and requires loyalty to God and his kingdom of justice and peace....
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