thanksgiving

THE DAILY GOSPEL AND READINGS 7 MARCH 2013

/ Michael J. Cunningham / Leave a comment
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 240

Reading 1 Jer 7:23-28

Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.

Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Gospel Lk 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

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.

REFLECTION ON THE DAILY GOSPEL 24 NOVEMBER 2012

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Gospel Lk 20:27-40

This passage is difficult to understand on first reading. Here Jesus is answering the Sadducees questions on the topic of resurrection, which some believe in but many do not. Jesus responds as only God could know how. He describes the world out of this world, and that our lives here are a prelude to a heavenly time if they worship God while they are here. He guides them skillfully through how it will be. They will become “like angels”, and will be the ones who will rise. Notice how Jesus refers them to the God of the Old Testament and how he made himself available to the prophets; proving again his willingness as God to move together amongst mankind.

For us today, we have the ultimate act of Forgiveness for our sins in His death and resurrection, so we no longer have to debate whether resurrection is possible or not. All things are possible with God.
This path of a beautiful life, of which we are offered glimpses of His love daily. Regarding the afterlife, a friend recently sent me this note in response to a nice card that I sent him for Thanksgiving.

“The scenes are always heartwarming – God’s Eden and paradise – maybe someday – God willing.”

We live in hope that one day we will awaken in his kingdom and be united in his love and friendship.

REFLECTION ON THE DAILY GOSPEL–Thanksgiving Day 2012

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Lk 17:11-19

It is very appropriate that this Gospel is read for Thanksgiving Day Mass. When I was a child growing up in England the village had an Autumn Harvest Festival. While I know now that some of these celebration may go back to pagan times, when I was in the village of Semington, England, only the Protestant Churches seemed to celebrate this thankfulness for the crop. Now, after almost 30 years of living in the US, the Thanksgiving vacation has become very precious to our entire family. It is the time when we give thanks for all the gifts of the year, not just the crop or physical goods that God has given, but the love, friendship, assistance, fellowship and community of his presence in our lives. Especially though giving thanks for the gift of family.
Who leads this family? Who gives all the gifts? Who gives them to those that don’t go back and “thank him”, like the leper in today’s Gospel? It is God who makes all these things possible. Today, let us accept those gifts with a thankful heart and rejoice in the ever-loving God who created them.
A very Happy Thanksgiving.

Mike