For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
27 July 2014 – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
28 July 2014 – Monday of Week 17 Year 2
29 July 2014 – St. Martha, Memorial
30 July 2014 – Wednesday of Week 17 Year 2
31 July 2014 – Thursday of Week 17 Year 2
1 August 2014 – Friday of Week 17 Year 2
There are many places a priest or religious is sent to to serve a community for a certain period of time. However, if one notices, the priest or religious is seldom sent to his or her hometown or home parish. Even if he or she is sent there, it may be only for a short while and then he or she is transferred elsewhere. One reason why this is so is mentioned in today’s Gospel.
In today’s Gospel, we read: “”A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.” At their hometown or home parish, a priest or religious may have been known from a young age. People may have become familiar with him or her as he or she grew up. Some people may think that they know the person well enough and it becomes difficult for them to accept advise, criticism, correction or teaching from the person. Jesus did not work many mighty deeds in his hometown because the people there lacked faith in Him, and thought they knew Him well enough. In the same way, a priest or religious may also be unable to carry out his or her mission in his or her hometown, because of lack of faith in him or her. In this situation, we could say that for some, “familiarity breeds contempt” to a certain extent.
However, this situation boils down to attitude and a willingness and openness to be guided, even by a son or daughter of the home parish. Seeing how short we are in priestly and religious vocations, we may some day have not much choice in who will come to serve our community. Are we going to allow our prejudices and so called familiarity with a person to become a stumbling block in our efforts towards spiritual growth?
If 2 items were placed before you: a large boulder and a piece of clay, which of the two would you identify yourself with, especially in your behaviour, attitude and present spiritual situation? Would you consider yourself hard and unmoving like the boulder, or would you see yourself as pliable and mouldable like the piece of clay? Many of us may like to think that we are like the piece of clay, but sometimes our way of life, our attitude, our behaviour and our actions prove otherwise.
In today’s reading: “I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel. Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.” Just as the Lord constantly worked on the Israelites and tried to help them come back to Him, the Lord is also constantly working on us, beckoning us to turn back to Him and depend on Him. Are we willing and humble enough to allow ourselves to be like the object of clay, so that the Lord can transform us into something even more wonderful?
We face all sorts of challenges in life: from the time we were born; the time we took our first steps; the time we started kindergarten and then school, then college, then university; the time we started working; perhaps for some, looking for a life partner; for some, getting married; then starting a family; till today. Throughout the many stages of our lives, we have depended on our family and friends to guide us along the way. But how many of us have turned to God for help; perhaps falling away from Him at some point in our lives, and then returning once again to Him?
In today’s reading, we are comforted with the fact that we have a loving God who waits patiently for us to turn to Him and depend on Him. The reading tells us: “If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; …For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.” Throughout our lives, we may have done many right and wrong things. God invites us to repent and return in friendship with Him. He will care for us and protect us, provided that we are willing and humble enough to let Him take control. Are we going to wait or ignore His promptings?
Throughout our lives, God has been patient towards us. Sometimes we fall and pick ourselves up, and yet God is willing to give us lots of chances and opportunities to turn back to Him. However, the choice of whether to do the will of God or to do things our own way is entirely up to us. God is not going to force us to be with Him; we choose to be with Him or otherwise.
In today’s reading, the people of Judah and Jerusalem had chosen to remain stubborn and evil. The reading tells us: “This evil people who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, who have followed alien gods, and served them and worshipped them, let them become like this loincloth, good for nothing.” Have some of us become like these people of Judah and Jerusalem, our hearts hardened, just like the loincloth and good for nothing? Have we forgotten who we are? Let us be mindful of our choice for our eternal future.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
20 July 2014 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
21 July 2014 – Monday of Week 16 Year 2
22 July 2014 – Tuesday of Week 16 Year 2
23 July 2014 – Wednesday of Week 16 Year 2
24 July 2014 – Thursday of Week 16 Year 2
25 July 2014 – St. James, Apostle – Feast
Some of us could be quite stubborn or refusing to admit our mistakes. We may prefer to continue living in a particular way of life, or do things a certain way, because we refuse to change or come out of our comfort zone. Some of us may try to change but we procrastinate or are distracted with so many other things that the world has to offer.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about the crowd: “Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Coarse is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.” Ultimately, it is our choice. We can choose to change our ways and let God care and heal us just like He did for the disciples; or we can choose to remain like the crowd. Are our hearts so cold and stubborn that we are still like the crowd? Or have we learnt to become more like Jesus’ disciples; being open to God’s care and healing?
Some of us at some point or another question what is our purpose in life. We reflect on our history and the many little things that have happened along the way, and some of us may have noticed God’s promptings. Sometimes, in our reflection, we may have discovered our true vocation. Have you discovered your true vocation? Do you know what needs to be done?
In today’s reading, Jeremiah discovered his vocation when He encountered the word of the Lord. The Lord had appointed him a prophet of the nations and the Lord said to him: “To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.” With such instructions and assurance from the Lord, Jeremiah was able to go forth and do as the Lord wanted of him.
What about us? The Lord may be calling you. Have you heard His voice? He has plans for you but are you willing to let Him take control and guide you? Let us open our hearts and listen carefully for His promptings.
Some people get the impression that God is like a policeman, just waiting to catch us and punish us for doing or committing the smallest sin. Others tend to think that God is an unforgiving God who keeps track of our sins. Some think that God is like a fierce and fiery volcano, always angry and ever ready to spout out lava and cause suffering to us. As Christians, what sort of God do we really have?
Today’s reading gives us glimpses of the kind of God we have. The reading tells us that God:
Seeing that we have such a loving, caring and forgiving God, what about our attitudes and behaviour towards others? Are we just as loving, caring and forgiving to others like God is to us?
Some of us think that we need to do a lot of things to win favour from God. Others think that they must behave in a certain way to gain God’s blessings. Sometimes in our efforts to stay in good relationship with God, we may be neglecting our relationship with others. We think that our relationship with God is all that matters. But today’s reading reminds us: “What is good has been explained to you, man; this is what the Lord asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.”
Are we acting justly towards others? Do we really love others just as God loves us all? Are we humble enough to admit our limitations and mistakes? If we are unable to love, forgive, seek forgiveness, reconcile, be loving and humble towards others whom we can see, then how can we claim to love God whom we cannot see?
