27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)
Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
1st Reading: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14
After fourteen years, I, again, went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and Titus came with us. Following a revelation, I went to lay before them the gospel that I am preaching to the pagans. I had a private meeting with the leaders — lest I should be working, or have worked, in a wrong way.
They recognized that I have been entrusted to give the Good News to the pagan nations, just as Peter has been entrusted to give it to the Jews. In the same way that God made Peter the apostle of the Jews, he made me the apostle of the pagans.
James, Cephas and John acknowledged the graces God gave me. Those men, who were regarded as the pillars of the Church, stretched out their hand to me and Barnabas, as a sign of fellowship; we would go to the pagans, and they, to the Jews. We should the needy in them. I have taken care to do this.
When, later, Cephas came to Antioch, I confronted him, since he deserved to be blamed. Before some of James’ people arrived, he used to eat with non-Jewish people. But when they arrived, he withdrew, and did not mingle anymore with them, for fear of the Jewish group. The rest of the Jews followed him in this pretense, and even Barnabas was part of this insincerity. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas publicly: If you, who are Jewish, agreed to live like the non Jews, setting aside the Jewish customs, why do you, now, compel the non-Jews to live like Jews?
Gospel: Lk 11:1-4
One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place; and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” And Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: Father, may your name be held holy, may your kingdom come; give us, each day, the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test.”
Reflections
Lord, teach us to pray
Luke‘s gospel has been called the Gospel of Prayer. It is in his gospel, more than any of the others, that we are told about Jesus praying, especially before the more important moments of his public life, such as at his baptism, the choosing of the Twelve, before Peter‘s confession of his Messiahship and in the garden before his Passion. Today we see Jesus just praying somewhere and it was perfectly natural for Jesus to pray to his Father, if we understand by prayer being intimate with God. When we pray, what really matters is to have a sacred space within one‘s mind and heart and allow God to speak to us. Sometimes we ask him for help in our lives or in making the right decision. Sometimes we thank and praise him for all the blessings of the day. Sometimes we pray on behalf of someone else and sometimes to simply dwell in silence. At the end, the sacred quest is silent listening to Someone who speaks to us gently and gives us inner peace and joy.
Daily Reflection 2018
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
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