October 19, 2008 (Sunday)

DIDACHE


THANK YOU!

We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers… – 1 Thessalonians 1:2

As a child, my parents instilled in me the value of always saying, “Thank you.” Whether the favor done was big or small, good manners dictated that one always had to express gratitude.

Now that I am older, saying thank you is more than just about good manners. It has become a way of life because I’ve realized that so many people have helped, and continue to help me every day. Without the guidance and lessons from those around me, I would not be who I am today. If not for the assistance and input of other people, I would not have any of my achievements. These “angels” come in all sorts of shapes and sizes — family members, friends, classmates, coworkers, even strangers.

God is good. I have been so loved and so blessed. And to that, I say, “Thank you!” Cess Cosico

REFLECTION:
Have you said thank you today? God has surrounded you with blessings!

Lord, teach us to be always grateful.

COMPANION

1st READING

Cyrus is a pagan king who allows the Jews to return from exile to their own land. This is why Isaiah tells us that he is the Lord’s anointed. It also gives us insight into the fact that God is willing to use anyone to bring about His will. God will find someone to do His work even if all His Chosen People reject His offers! It is therefore imperative that we respond to the graces given us so that God will not move His anointing elsewhere.

Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6
1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred. 4 For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. 5 I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, 6 so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.

P S A L M

Psalm 96: 1, 2, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10
R: (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) 4 For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens. (R) 7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; 8 give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his courts. (R) 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth; 10 say among the nations the LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. (R)


2nd READIN G

What does it mean to persevere in hope? I am no expert on this but perhaps a partial understanding would be to never despair and see that God is working in our lives. Even when it seems God is silent, we must believe that He is not! He is always working at bringing us to the fulfillment of His will for us. If He was not, then He would not be true to His promises. Hope comes into play when we cannot experience God’s presence in any form; it then helps us to believe that God is still there working for our good.

Thessalonians 1: 1-5b
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spiritand with much conviction.

G O S P E L

To a certain point, there is a separation of Church and state. Today’s Gospel tells us of one example. The state has been given a certain authority by God to govern the lives of the peoples of this earth. To that extent, we owe it allegiance and support. However, when a state departs from righteousness and seeks to promote evil, then we have no obligation to support it whatsoever. With any right comes a corresponding responsibility and duty. The state is no different in this regard.

Matthew 22:15-21
15 The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech. 16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status. 17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” 18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. 20 He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” 21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

my reflections
think: With any right comes a corresponding responsibility and duty.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Sirach 43-45


SABBATH PAUSE

My weekly time with God

THANK YOU LIST

Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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SABBATH


WHEN WILL BE THE DAY?

We are certain that the day will come when we will die. The question will be: “Did we prepare ourselves well for that day? The parable in today’s reading invites us to answer this question from the point of view of what we have done in our lives. The man who has a good harvest is so enamored by the harvest and the new wealth it has brought him that he forgets that he is mortal. He loses sight of the fact that there will come a time when he will die, and that that time could be very soon. He decides to place his trust in earthly wealth and pays a terrible price for his mistake.

I have spoken to many people from different countries of the world who seem to be making a similar mistake. People who place all their hopes in the success of their business or material things and forget to give God His proper place in their lives do so at the risk of their own destruction. This is not an alarmist statement – it is a simple statement of the truth, and it is a truth we ignore at our own peril.

There are many who do not believe in God and act according to this tenet of their lives. From my point of view, this is a very disappointing position to take and I will do everything I can to try to change it. But ultimately, a person’s life is his own to live. Many of the problems in the world today are a result of people making very shortsighted decisions that place material pursuits over and above the pursuit of our relationship with God.

One of the clearest messages in the Scriptures is the call to prioritize our relationship with God among all the other commitments we have in life. We will need to give this issue constant attention as nearly every influence out there in the world is going to push us away from the thought of heavenly realities and fill our minds and hearts with earthly desires and dreams. Fr. Steve Tynan

Refection Question:
What thoughts and ideas come into my mind when it is idle? Does my mind turn automatically to the things of God or the things of the world?

Jesus, help me to organize my life so that my mind and heart will be trained to look to God above all other things.

Blessed Adeline, abbess, pray for us.