Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Luke 8:19-21
Then his mother and his relatives came to him; but they could not get to him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet you.” Then Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Reflections
“Those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Our biological make-up determines the closeness of our relationship with our mother, father, sister(s) and brother(s). Other than a relationship with a friend, these are the closest possible relationships that one can have to another person. But in today’s short gospel reading, Jesus established a determinant that goes beyond biological relationship, that is, the hearing and the keeping of the word of God. This is the one thing that connects and brings us into close relationship with Christ. Hearing and keeping God’s word means taking Jesus in our life, making him an integral part of us, with- out whom life fails. When this happens, Christ takes possession of us and assumes a central place. That is why we can now say: “I am sister/brother to Christ, a sister and a brother to others because of Christ's love for them.
It needs to be noted that this relationship with Christ constitutes hearing and doing. Both are needed in building a relationship with him. Hearing the good news is not enough. It re- quires the addition of action.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 8:16-18
No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed; rather, he puts it on a lamp stand, so that people coming in may see the light. In the same way, there is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered; nothing kept secret, that shall not be known clearly. Now, pay attention and listen well, for whoever produces, will be given more; but from those who do not produce, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them.”

Reflections
“People coming in may see the light.”
God’s good news of love that has been welcomed in the human heart through conversion and faith needs to be nurtured by perseverance in prayer and good works so that it continues to grow and bear fruit for one’s self and others. When a lamp, or a candle, is covered, it will cease to give out light and no sooner will it be extinguished because it lacks air, particularly oxygen, needed to keep it burning.
Once the good news takes its root, it would require “patient endurance” so that we can proceed with the demands of daily human affairs strong, withstanding and warding off the threats coming from various concerns, possessions and pleasures in life (Brendan Byrne). Prayer, good works, endurance and patience are the elements of the air, so to speak, that keep the light of love in us shining. Without them, our conversion to a new life of faith in Christ will not last. In seeing this light, what others actually recognize is God’s love and mercy at work in our lives. The light of our transformation and its accompanying fruits of good work touch people’s lives because they reflect divine goodness. Having this light, then, shining in our life is to be a witness to the power and love of God.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Luke 16:1-13
At another time Jesus told his disciples, “There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him because of fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.’
The steward thought to himself, ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.’
So he called his master’s debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was, ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said, ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.’ To the second debtor he put the same question, ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness: for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light. And so I tell you: use fi thy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.
Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own?
No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give
yourself both to God and to Money.”

Lectio Divina
READ: The prophet Amos exposes the ways of those who take advantage of the needy and the weak. Writing to Timothy, Paul says that good deeds are pleasing to God and need to be done for others. Examples of which are petitions, prayers, inter- cessions and thanksgiving. In the parable, Jesus praises the steward for having dealt with his termination astutely.
REFLECT: In response to the decision of the rich man to terminate him, the steward acted astutely: he cancelled out the extra markup he had added (for himself) to the rich man’s profit in order to win the favor of each debtor. What is remarkable about his action is that he gave away, after coming to his senses (with emphasis), the money intended for him. He realized the impending con- sequences of his dismissal: he will have to work hard in spite of physical inability; and, he will have to beg. He could not imagine himself doing these. The realization and actions of the astute steward are worth relating to our day-to-day living. That which corrupts the human heart, we may give up; and, that which could be very helpful to others, we may also give away. It wise when we act based on authentic values and not on mere satisfaction.
PRAY: Lord, grant us the wisdom to determine what is truly good and valuable. And give us the courage to give up those things that do not promote your reign of love, justice and mercy.
ACT: Practice giving up little things so that we may be pre- pared to give up big things.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus moved on from there, he saw a man named Matthew, at his seat in the custom-house; and he said to him, “Follow me!” And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why is it, that your master eats with sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go, and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Reflections
“What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.”
Why does Jesus want mercy? He wants mercy because mercy, together with forgiveness, is restorative. It heals the broken human heart; it restores back fragmented spirit to wholeness. Mercy connects us back to God, our fellow human creatures, and other nonhuman creatures
Because Jesus has shown us his mercy, he wants us to give it to others; he wants us to pass it on to others. This is the only way things will work in favor of humanity and all creation. What God has done to us, what we ourselves have experienced as a result of the love and mercy of God, we also pass on to others. And so we become instrument or agent of God’s divine and wonderful action in our lives. God’s action simply flows through us towards others, so that they, too, might experience God’s love and mercy.
In 2017 Pope Francis added the“care of creation”as a modern work of mercy. The mercy of God is now extended to include the rest of God’s “very good” creation. This is grounded in the pure love of God that knows no limit; his love embraces all of life, all that he has created. That is why we are all enjoined to be merc ful to all creatures, both humans and nonhumans alike.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019