October 10, 2019

Oct. 10

October 10, 2019:  Thursday, 27th week, Ordinary Time

See 16 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen
Read
  • Mal 3:13-20b  You've defied me, saying, “What good is it to keep God's command?  Evildoers prosper....”  The Lord listened attentively.  Those who fear and trust me shall be mine, says the Lord.  I'll have compassion on them.  You'll see the distinction between just and wicked.  The proud and evildoers will be stubble, but for you who fear me, the sun of justice will arise.
  • Ps 1:1-4, 6  "Blessed are they who hope in the Lord."  They're like trees yielding fruit in due season, but the wicked are like chaff the wind drives away.  The Lord watches over the just....
  • Lk 11:5-13  “If your friend comes to you at midnight and says, ‘lend me three loaves of bread,’ and you reply, ‘Don't bother me; the door is locked and we're in bed,’ even if you don't give him the loaves because of your friendship, you will because of his persistence.  Ask and receive; seek and find; knock and the door will be opened.  Who would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg?  If you know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will the Father give the Spirit to those who ask?”
Reflect
  • Creighton:  Many people ask God “what good is it to keep your command?”  Today’s readings are about how God loves and welcomes us.  God doesn’t give to askers based on their worthiness but rather on their persistence.  It takes faith to be persistent, but persistence is more about learning to live justly than getting what you want.  The persistent don’t lose faith when they don’t get what they want or when evil prospers; they're satisfied, so it seems like everything they do prospers.  It's tempting for those who feel loved and blessed to think they're more deserving, but there's no room for judgment against others.  Being able to see all as gift is itself a gift.  The door to God’s blessings is open to all.  May we live in a way that others see God’s love at work in blessings available to all.
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Value prayer":   Most people don't set aside a time for daily prayer, pray with their spouses and families, or pray at work, on the street, or on the phone. Such omissions contribute to weak faith, weak marriages and families, and weak churches.  Not valuing prayer highly and not praying always make it possible for the culture of death to spread.  The Lord assures us he wants to answer our prayers; he'll give us what we seek or better.  "Ask and you'll receive; seek and you'll find; knock and it shall be opened to you."  In fact, the Lord will give us more:  the Spirit, who "helps us in our weakness, for we don't know how to pray as we ought."   Then we'll pray with greater commitment, power, and efficacy, and we'll move from grace to grace.  Always pray in the Spirit.
    St. Francis Borgia helps
    a dying impenitent man/ Goya
  • Passionist:  I used to believe prayer was to change God’s mind.  God was a kind of Santa Claus, giving toys to some, denying them to others, and persuaded by those who make a good case.  Many still hold the Santa view, but I don't.  We don't change God’s mind.  God always wants what's best for me and never withholds it,  I pray to change myself, to allow God to work in and transform myself, to be freed from unhealthy desires, to recognize his will and work, and to be receptive and accept what God is trying to give.  Jesus says those who ask will receive, but he promises the Spirit, not wealth, physical healing, or whatever we ask for.  God will give me all I need:  patience, strength, peace, wisdom, knowledge, sensitivity, perseverance, faith, and more.  God will give me the Spirit.  When I pray and allow God to work, God molds me into a better person; I often surrender what I wanted, because I trust God knows what's best.  Jesus didn’t have everything someone in his day would want, but he had the Spirit, and whenever he prayed, he deepened his relationship to his Father. That allowed him to be effective, healing, strong, and prophetic and gave him what he needed to endure suffering, betrayal, and death.  Prayer isn't a laundry list but a deepening of relationship so we can become more like Christ.  When I ask for that, I'll receive.
  • DailyScripture.net:  "More":  Jesus used the illustration of a midnight traveler to teach about how God treats us in contrast to what we might expect from neighbors. The rule of hospitality required community cooperation in entertaining an unexpected guest, always serving a meal.  Bread was essential as a utensil for dipping and eating; asking for bread was common; refusing to give it was inhospitable and brought shame.  If you could impose on a neighbor to give bread at midnight, how much more hospitable is God, who's always generous and ready to give what we need.  "God, who doesn't sleep and who awakens us from sleep that we may ask, gives much more graciously" (Augustine).  The Lord is ever ready to give us more than we can expect:  his Spirit, that we may share his life and joy.
Today's saints, from Universalis
    • St. Daniel Comboni, evangelist to Central Africa's poor and abandoned; motto “Africa or death”
    Dress legend
    • Purple shirt:  You said, “What do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress...?" (1st reading)
    • 'Money bag' tie pin:  "Evildoers prosper" (1st reading)
    • 'Boundless mercy' button:  I'll have compassion on those who fear the Lord and trust him (1st reading)
      • 'Sun' pin:  For you who fear me, the Sun of Justice will arise (1st reading)
      • 'Tree' and 'fruit' pins:  You who delight in and meditate on the Lord's law are like fruitful trees...  (psalm)
      • '?' tie pin:  "What have we spoken against you?"  "What do we profit by keeping God's command? (1st reading); "ask and you'll receive....  The Father will give the Spirit to all who ask" (gospel)
      • 'Dove' pin:  "The Father will give the Spirit to those who ask" (gospel)
      • 'Wheat' pin:  "Friend, lend me some bread" (gospel)
        • 'Key' tie pin:  "Don't bother me; the door is locked" (gospel)
        • 'Door knocker' pin:  "Knock and the door will be opened to you" (gospel)
        • 'Snake' pin, 'fish' tie:  What father would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? (gospel)
        • Egg-shaped tie pin with green center:  What father would hand his son a scorpion when he asks for an egg? (gospel); green for Ordinary Time season
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