savior

THE DAILY GOSPEL AND READINGS 5 MARCH 2012

/ Michael J. Cunningham / Leave a comment
Monday in the Second Week in Lent
Lectionary: 230

Reading 1 Dn 9:4b-10

“Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13

R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

Gospel Lk 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

THE DAILY GOSPEL AND READINGS 26 FEBRUARY 2012

/ Michael J. Cunningham / Leave a comment
First Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 23

Reading 1 Gn 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading 2 1 Pt 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Gospel Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

SURRENDER: The importance of surrender to God

/ Michael J. Cunningham / Leave a comment

Our Lord came as Our Savior, the Redeemer, the Anointed One promised in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament. However, we are not automatically saved; at least that’s our belief as Catholics. In order to be saved, we need to be in the right order with Christ, this means not just keeping his commandments, but honoring him in the appropriate way. That means understanding our role in salvation, in order to be given the grace and gift of salvation itself.

In fulfillment of the Old Testament, Jesus came to save us, but these are not mere words. He came, through his Father, and became fully human, descending from heaven to live both humanly and divinely in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This redeeming action, not only shows the love he has for us all, his most favored creation, but also deeply illustrates what he wants from us; surrender.

His surrender to the will of his Father, completely humbled by arrogant and cruel prosecutors who were amongst his chosen people, only tells us where we need to be in relation to him. There is no humility that could even compare to his love for us in his mission on earth. The one and true God, tortured, abused, humiliated, rejected; not just during the Passion of the Christ, but throughout his missionary life. How did he react? He surrendered and obeyed the will of his Father.

This is a key element for us in determining where we should start if we want to be close to him. We can only understand where we stand, by showing him that same love and respect, and it starts with not trying to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with God or others, but understanding and accepting his omnipotence and omnipresence in our lives and the world. That makes us his loving subjects in his kingdom, but not in any way equal, or just transactional Christians. Wanting the benefits of the kingdom, but unwilling to walk through the narrow gate to enter it. He lies, like a Shepard protecting his flock across this gate, ensuring those inside are safe and welcoming newcomers who have found the way to the entrance.

I would submit, surrender to his will is the first stage in really understanding his mission, with faith and acceptance of the word of the apostles, who were fortunate enough to have witnessed his love in “real time” during his human lifetime.

We, among others, have the job of sharing this with our fellow man, but I believe the real spiritual journey begins with this admission of submitting and dedicating our lives to him. It will be the door that opens all others to his love and splendor.

 

Mike Cunningham January 2012