Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 374
Lectionary: 374
Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 106:1B-2, 3-4A, 4B-5
R. (1b) Give
thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 14:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, please go here.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, please go here.
Meditation: "The
wise who built their house upon the rock"
If
you could foresee a threat to your life and the lose of your home and goods,
wouldn't you take the necessary precautions to avoid such a disaster? Jesus'
story of being swept away by flood waters and wind storms must have caught the
attention of his audience who knew that terrific storms did occasionally sweep
through their dry arid land without any warning signs. When Jesus described the
builders who were unprepared for such a life-threatening storm, he likely had
the following proverb in mind: When the storm has swept by, the wicked
are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs 10:25).
The
only foundation that can keep us safe
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
There
is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by
one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is
revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must choose between what is
true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes,
especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the
truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A true person is honest and
reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a person's word can be taken
as trustworthy.
Christ
is the only rock that can save us
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
"Lord
Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster
threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to
do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your
will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The house falls if Christ is not the
rock and foundation, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"'For
neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the
love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the
lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm.
Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world.
The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in
one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm.
'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in
the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they
beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does
not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds
one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon
the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon
that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt
from FRAGMENT 153)
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, MATTHEW 7:21-29
Weekday
(Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16; Psalm 106)
Weekday
(Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16; Psalm 106)
KEY VERSE: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock" (v. 24).
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles if they lived contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who followed his example of devotion to God's will. Jesus used the illustration of the construction practice of his time in which houses were built on a solid rock foundation. Houses built on the sand in a dry gully were in danger of being destroyed by the floods that followed the winter rains. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation. Those who ignored his words were building upon superficial footing. They were at risk of being swept away by the difficulties that beset them in their daily lives.
TO LOVE: Do I obey Jesus in his Word and in his Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen the weak places in my spiritual house.
Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and
doctor of the Church
Cyril was the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt from 412 to 444. Cyril was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the late 4th and 5th centuries. He was a central figure in the Council of Ephesus in 431, which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Patriarch of Constantinople, who was preaching that Mary was not the Mother of God since Christ was Divine and not human, and consequently she should not have the word theotokos (God-bearer) applied to her. Cyril also suppressed the Novatians, who were the fundamentalists of their day. They held high moral standards, but did not offer the forgiveness and restoration of sinners. Among his writings were treatises on dogmatic theology, and Apologia against Julian the Apostate, and letters and sermons. Cyril is a Greek Father of the Church, and was declared a doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1882.
NOTE: Because of the Nestorian controversy, the church created a formula to describe Christ's person at the Council of Chalcedon in 433, which declared: "We all with one voice confess our Lord Jesus Christ one and the same Son, at once complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, of one substance with us as regards his manhood, like us in all things, apart from sin.
Thursday 27 June 2019
Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16. Psalm 105(106):1-5. Matthew 7:21-29.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good – Psalm 105(106):1-5.
‘Those who do the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.’
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good – Psalm 105(106):1-5.
‘Those who do the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.’
Will I build my house on the rock of God’s word? Jesus is a sure
foundation and his promise is secure. He does not offer me material comforts
and luxuries, but rather the peace of constant presence. As I place my trust in
him, I may begin to notice the myriad ways I receive encouragement along the
way. This is the gift of divine accompaniment experienced through the care of
those who love me, and through the sacred life I find welling up within me.
Today’s gospel then is an invitation to return to God’s
life-giving word and presence with renewed enthusiasm. I am called to open
myself up to being surprised by what I find there. As I give time to the Lord I
find that I am receiving far more than I could ever ‘give’. I begin to call
upon the Lord’s name in thanksgiving and praise
Saint Cyril of Alexandria
Saint of the Day for June 27
(378 – June 27, 444)
 |
| Statue in Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro, Braga, Portugal | photo by Joseolgon |
Saint Cyril of Alexandria’s Story
Saints are not born with halos around their heads. Cyril,
recognized as a great teacher of the Church, began his career as archbishop of
Alexandria, Egypt, with impulsive, often violent, actions. He pillaged and
closed the churches of the Novatian heretics—who required those who denied the
faith to be re-baptized—participated in the deposing of Saint John
Chrysostom, and confiscated Jewish property, expelling the Jews from Alexandria
in retaliation for their attacks on Christians.
Cyril’s importance for theology and Church history lies in his
championing the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of Nestorius, who taught
that in Christ there were two persons, one human and one divine.
The controversy centered around the two natures in Christ.
Nestorius would not agree to the title “God-bearer” for Mary. He preferred
“Christ-bearer,” saying there are two distinct persons in Christ—divine and
human—joined only by a moral union. He said Mary was not the mother of God but
only of the man Christ, whose humanity was only a temple of God. Nestorianism
implied that the humanity of Christ was a mere disguise.
Presiding as the pope’s representative at the Council of Ephesus
in 431, Cyril condemned Nestorianism and proclaimed Mary truly the
“God-bearer”—the mother of the one Person who is truly God and truly human. In
the confusion that followed, Cyril was deposed and imprisoned for three months,
after which he was welcomed back to Alexandria.
Besides needing to soften some of his opposition to those who had
sided with Nestorius, Cyril had difficulties with some of his own allies, who
thought he had gone too far, sacrificing not only language but orthodoxy. Until
his death, his policy of moderation kept his extreme partisans under control.
On his deathbed, despite pressure, he refused to condemn the teacher of
Nestorius.
Reflection
Lives of the saints are valuable not only for the virtue they
reveal but also for the less admirable qualities that also appear. Holiness is
a gift of God to us as human beings. Life is a process. We respond to God’s
gift, but sometimes with a lot of zigzagging. If Cyril had been more patient
and diplomatic, the Nestorian church might not have risen and maintained power
so long. But even saints must grow out of immaturity, narrowness, and
selfishness. It is because they—and we—do grow, that we are truly saints,
persons who live the life of God.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 7:21-29
Lectio Divina
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we
not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I
never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ “Everyone who listens to these
words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on
rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the
house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone
who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool
who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew
and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus
finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught
them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the last part of the Sermon on the
Mount: (a) it is not sufficient to talk and sing, it is necessary to live and
to practice (Mt 7:21-23). (b) the community constructed on the foundation of
the new law of the discourse on the mount will remain standing at the moment of
the storm (Mt 7:24-27). (c) the words of Jesus are a severe judgment on the
contemporary religious leaders, the scribes (Mt 7:28-29).
• The end of the Sermon on the Mount presents some opposition
and a few contradictions which exist even in our time: (a) people who
continually speak of God, but who do not do God’s will. They use the name of
Jesus, but do not practice a relationship with the Lord in their life (Mt
7:21). (b) There are people who live in the illusion of working for the Lord,
but on the day of encounter with Him, they will discover, tragically, that they
have never known Him (Mt 7:22-23). The two last scenarios of the Sermon on the
Mount, the house built on the rock (Mt 7:24-25) and the house built on sand (Mt
7:26-27), illustrate these contradictions. By means of these, Matthew
denounces, and at the same time tries to correct, the separation between faith
and life, between speaking and doing, between teaching and practicing.
• Matthew 7:21: It is not sufficient to speak, it is necessary
to practice. What is important is not to speak of God in a beautiful way or to
know how to explain the bible well to others, but rather to do the will of the
Father, and in this way, be a revelation of His face and of His presence in the
world. Jesus made the same recommendation to the woman who praised Mary, His
Mother. Jesus answered: “Blessed rather are those who listen to the Word of God
and put it into practice” (Lk 11:28).
• Matthew 7:22-23: The gifts should be at the service of the
Kingdom and the community. There were people with extraordinary gifts, for
example the gift of prophecy, of exorcism, of healing, but they used these
gifts for themselves, outside the context of the community. In the Day of
Judgment, they will hear a hard sentence from Jesus: “Away from Me all evil
doers”. Evil is the opposite of justice. It is to do with Jesus what the
doctors did with the law: to teach and not to practice (Mt 23:3). Paul will say
the same thing with other words and arguments: “Though I have the power of
prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all the
faith necessary to move mountains, if I am without love, I am nothing. Though I
should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be
burned, if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever”. (1Cor 13:2-3).
• Matthew 7:24-27: The parable of the house built on the rock.
The final conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount is to open oneself and to
practice. Many people entrust their security to extraordinary gifts or to
observance. But their true security does not come from prestige or from
observance. It comes from God! It comes from the love of God who has loved us
first (1 Jn 4:19). His love for us, manifested in Jesus, exceeds everything (Rm
8:38-39). God becomes our source of security when we seek to do His will. There
He will be the rock which supports us in the moments of difficulty and storm.
• Matthew 7:28-29: To teach with authority. The Evangelist
closes the Sermon on the Mount saying that the crowds admired the teaching of
Jesus, “because He taught with authority, and not like the scribes”. The result
from the teaching of Jesus is a critical understanding of the people in regard
to the religious authority of the time. His simple and clear words resulted
from His experience of God, from His life dedicated to the Father’s plan.
People admired and approved the teaching of Jesus.
• Community: the house built on the rock. In the Book of Psalms,
we frequently find the expression: “God is my rock and my
fortress… My God, my rock, my refuge, my stronghold, my saving
strength…” (Ps 18:3). He is the defense and the strength of the one who seeks
justice (Ps 18:21,24). The people who trust in this God, become in turn,
a rock for others. Thus, the Prophet Isaiah invites people in
the exile saying: “Listen to me you who pursue saving justice, you who seek
Yahweh! Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry
from which you were dug. Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you
birth” (Is 51:1-2). The prophet asks people not to forget the past. The people
should remember that Abraham and Sarah, because of their faith in God,
became rock, the beginning of the People of God. Looking
toward this rock, the people should acquire courage to struggle and to escape
from slavery. Matthew also exhorts the community similarly to have rock as
foundation (Mt 7:24-25) and thus, they themselves can be rock to strengthen
their brothers and sisters in their faith. This is the sense of the name which
Jesus gave to Peter: “You are Peter and on this rock I will
build my Church” (Mt 16: 18). This was the vocation of the first
community, called to unite itself with God, the living rock, so as to become
also a living rock, because they listen and put into practice the Word. (Ps
2:4-10; 2:5; Ep 2:19-22).
4) Personal questions
• How does our community seek to balance prayer and action,
prayer and practice, to speak and to do, to teach and to practice? What could
improve in our community, so that it will be a rock, a secure and welcoming
house for all?
• To be rock for another is also to be in truth. Do I, and my community, know and understand Church teaching and the bible well enough and in truth such that I and we can be rock for others who need help in their Faith?
• There is another kind of rock. The rock in the parable of the sower. The seed (the Word) could not grow on rock. Do I read, learn and grow from the Word and from the saints that have given example before us, and from Church teaching? Am I like the rocky ground in the parable where the seed dries up or am I like a strong rock who gives stability to my brothers and sisters?
• To be rock for another is also to be in truth. Do I, and my community, know and understand Church teaching and the bible well enough and in truth such that I and we can be rock for others who need help in their Faith?
• There is another kind of rock. The rock in the parable of the sower. The seed (the Word) could not grow on rock. Do I read, learn and grow from the Word and from the saints that have given example before us, and from Church teaching? Am I like the rocky ground in the parable where the seed dries up or am I like a strong rock who gives stability to my brothers and sisters?
5) Concluding Prayer
Help us, God our Savior,
for the glory of Your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of Your name. (Ps 79:9)
for the glory of Your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of Your name. (Ps 79:9)
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