MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 18, 2020

July 18 2020
 
Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 MI 2:1-5

Catechism of the Catholic Church

46 When he listens to the message of creation and to the voice of conscience, man can arrive at certainty about the existence of God, the cause and the end of everything.

SATURDAY, JULY 18^TH  Mt. 12:14-21   “The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.”

• “God has so laden me with His tender mercies, so encompassed, so overwhelmed me with His benefits, that I am unable to feel any other burden.” (St. Bernard)
• Today’s Gospel is about God’s tender mercies. Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight. I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
• Jesus came not as a conquering ruler, but as a Messiah who serves and who heals mankind. A servant who frees those trapped in the misery of their sins. He does not come in judgment, to break the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick. He comes in mercy, forgiving their sins, bending over the broken reed with exquisite care to straighten and strengthen it. He comes in mercy, breathing His Spirit on the smoldering wick until it burns brightly again with faith, hope, and charity!
• Mary Magdalene was that bruised reed and smoldering wick, and so was the woman at the well, the repentant thief on the cross, even Peter when he denied Jesus three times. They were lost in the misery of their sins until they encountered Jesus. How often am I that bruised reed and smoldering wick in need of Jesus’ mercy?
• Let us recall these encouraging words of Pope Francis: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting Him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord’.
• The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that He is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: ‘Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace’.
• How good it feels to come back to Him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking His mercy. Christ who told us to forgive one another ‘seventy times seven’ (Mt 18:22) has given us His example: He has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again He bears us on His shoulders.
• No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, He makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than His life, which impels us onwards!”  End of Reflection by Pope Francis taken from Joy of the Gospel.
  
• We need this encounter daily if we are to follow Christ in today’s world! That is why we stress the importance of the Daily Examen Prayer:

1. TRANSITION: Recall I am in the presence of the Lord… Imagine Jesus looking at me with love.
2. GRATITUDE… Call to mind the large and small blessings I received today.
3. PETITION… Ask the Holy Spirit to help me see my day clearly.
4. REVIEW… Look at my day. Was I in consolation? desolation? Why? Am I happy with how I spoke and acted today? (Talk to Jesus.) What would I like to do differently tomorrow? (Talk to Jesus.)
5. FORGIVENESS… With remorse for my failings and trust in your mercy, Lord, I ask for forgiveness.
6. RENEWAL… Looking to tomorrow, Jesus, I beg for your grace where I am struggling and your grace to continue the good I am doing. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)
7. TRANSITION: Prayerfully conclude with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be to God!

• The Pharisees in today’s Gospel are plotting to kill Jesus. We have Pharisees today who are plotting to kill Jesus with their laws and Supreme Court decisions. But Jesus continues on His way, quietly healing those who are suffering spiritually and physically through His Mystical Body, the Church.
• Through His appointed ministers who teach the Truth of Christ and give us the Sacraments, especially Confession and Holy Communion to sustain us in Christ’s Truth on our journey.
• Through each one of us as we bring the Truth of Christ that leads to eternal life to those we encounter daily by the example of our words and actions. Like Jesus, we must be careful not to break the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick! Like Jesus, we are to be ministers of mercy!
• Sometimes a doctor pronounces a medical condition hopeless because there is no known cure, no remedy for healing. The Divine Physician never says that. We might think someone is beyond redemption, but Jesus never does! He can forgive any sin, heal any sinner, right up to last moment of their life.
• Jesus needs us to remember that! He depends on us to extend the mercy and the merits of the cross to others – to those who don’t know Him, have forgotten Him, are indifferent to Him, or even reject Him. We have work to do – important work! More important than saving lives for a brief span on earth is saving souls for all eternity!!! 
• It doesn’t matter whether we are young or old… educated or uneducated… rich or poor… healthy or sick. Until we take our last breath we can merit graces for others – softening hearts hardened through pride and self-will and turning them to God’s merciful love!
• How do we merit these graces?

1. In our morning prayer we offer our prayers, work, joys, sorrows, and sufferings of this day to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
2. Being faithful to the duties and responsibilities of our state in life as priest, religious, married person, or single person.
3. Seeing and accepting His holy will in all the circumstances and events of each day. God wills good, but He permits evil to bring a greater good!  
4. Offering prayers and penitential acts during the day for the salvation of souls. Jesus said some demons are only driven out through prayer and penance!
5. Reception of the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion as often as possible. Participating in live stream Mass and Spiritual Communion if that is all we’re able to do.
   
6. Perhaps most important, showing the Sacred Heart of Jesus to others by being patient, merciful, and forgiving with them.

• Finally, why does God allow what seems to be a continual stream of trials and suffering in our lives? Because the salvation of so many souls, including our own, depend on the graces that will flow from these crosses – from our patient acceptance of all He permits to happen and all He asks us to do each day to respond to the need of the present moment. For the present moment is all we have. And the present moment is what we will be judged on.
  
• Every cross is an opportunity to merit the graces necessary for the salvation of our soul and the souls of many others! Every cross is a doorway to heaven – for those on earth and those in Purgatory! If we knew the miracles of grace that are happening around us every day, through His Divine Mercy and our persevering efforts to do His will, we would kiss our crosses! For the good they do us, our loved ones, and others we won’t meet until we are in Heaven together!
• Truly with St. Bernard, we can say: “God has so laden me with His tender mercies, so encompassed, so overwhelmed me with His benefits, that I am unable to feel any other burden.”