29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1 / Green)
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
1st Reading: Eph 3:14-21
And, now, I kneel in the presence of the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth has received its name.
May he strengthen in you the inner self, through his Spirit, according to the riches of his glory; may Christ dwell in your hearts, through faith; may you be rooted and founded in love.
All of this, so that you may understand, with all the holy ones, the width, the length, the height and the depth — in a word, that you may know the love of Christ, that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled, and reach the fullness of God.
Glory to God, who shows his power in us, and can do much more than we could ask or imagine; glory to him, in the Church, and in Christ Jesus, through all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel: Lk 12:49-53
I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what anguish I feel until it is finished!
Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Reflections
The break-up of families, father against mother, parents against children, in-laws against in-laws comes as the result of making a big decision to follow Jesus. He had warned that those who wanted to follow him had to be ready, if necessary, to leave home and family and enter into a new family of brothers and sisters. To follow the way of truth and love, of freedom and justice is always going to arouse the hostility of those who feel threatened by freedom in love. But is it right to break up one‘s family? The answer is definitely no but when there is a greater value that is at stake, we pursue not a dream for the family but God‘s dream for humanity. It is only by being true to God‘s greater plan with a price to pay, that peace can be experienced. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela gave humanity the best of himself when he followed his dream of racial equality, left the trappings of a good life and became a prisoner of conscience in his fight against apartheid. A harsh choice. He confessed the pain:
“I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father, and a husband. In that way, my commitment to my people, to the millions of South Africans I would never know or meet, was at the expense of the people I knew best and loved most. It was as simple and yet as incomprehensible as the moment a small child asks her father, “Why can you not be with us?“ And the father must utter the terrible words: “There are other children like you, a great many of them...“ and then one‘s voice trails off.“
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
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