"Reclining at table in the kingdom of God"

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them,
Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'
And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Commentary of the day :

Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse
Revelations of divine love, ch. 39 (trans. ©Classics of Western spirituality, 1978)

"Reclining at table in the kingdom of God"

[When sinners acknowledge their sin], divine grace causes such great contrition, compassion and true longing for God that the sinner, suddenly delivered from sin and from pain, is raised up… By contrition we are made clean, by compassion we are made ready, and by true longing for God we are made worthy. These are three means, as I understand, through which all souls come to heaven, those, that is to say, who have been sinners on earth and will be saved. For every sinful soul must be healed by these medicines. Though he be healed, his wounds are not seen by God as wounds but as honors. And as we are punished here with sorrow and penance, in contrary fashion we shall
be rewarded in heaven by the courteous love of our almighty God… For he regards sin as sorrow and pains for his lovers, to whom for love he assigns no blame. The reward which we shall receive will not be small, but it will be great, glorious and honourable. And so all shame will be turned into honor and joy.

For our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair because they fall often and grievously; for our falling does not hinder him in loving us... He wants us so to take heed that he is the foundation of our whole life in love, and furthermore that he is our everlasting protector, and mightily defends us against all our enemies, who are very cruel and very fierce towards us, and so our need is great, the more so because by our falling we give them occasion.

"I" created by "YOU"

 by: Sem. Carlito Brazil Gemina

 

You know me through and though,
You know me through rough and smooth,
You know me through my fears and strength,
You know me through thick and thin.


I know you created me,
I know you love me,
I know you value me,
I know you first seek me.

You care because you love me,
I know that you love me.
You called me first before i answer you,
I know you called me.

This is my reflection on 2nd day of retreat inspired by PSALM 27.

"blessed are those servants"

Luke12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants." 

Reflections:

 "blessed are those servants"

Many of us would really like to be served by others. We want and easy life and we always want to be at the top. Let me journey with you today as we reflect on the phrase "blessed are those servants." May would say they wanted to serve God but it is really difficult to do such. Our human limitations are sometimes the hindrance to commit our selves in the service.

But, friend let me tell you that serving God is to serve first the "least of our brethren". If we cannot sere their needs how more we can serve God. May we always be an instrument to serve others, to others, and for others.

Have an open heart and ask for the grace of God today with humility to show you and let you feel his divine service in your existence. Be with others and serve others needs. The Church needs you now. Serve the Church, help the Church of the poor.

If I have not yet served my family how can i serve my other neighbor, so my friend today's invitation is to know more of our self and reflect if "have i serve? for we heard "blessed are those servants" for the greater glory of God serve others with out any return.

"And they began to act with hostility toward him"

Luke 11:47-54

The Lord said: “Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute'
in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."
When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

Commentary of the day :

Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot
The Sacrament of the altar, II, 1 (SC 93)

"And they began to act with hostility toward him"

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3,16). This only Son “was offered”, not because his enemies overcame him but because “he surrendered himself” (cf. Is 53,12). “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (Jn 13,1). This “end” was the death he accepted on behalf of those whom he loved; this was the end of all perfection, the end of perfect love, for “there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends” (Jn 15,13).

This love of Christ's was more stronger in the death of Christ than his enemies' hatred, for hatred could only do what love permitted it to do. Judas - or the enemies of Christ –delivered him up to death through wicked hatred. The Father delivered his Son, and the Son delivered himself to death through love (Rom 8,32; Gal 2,20). Love, however, is by no means guilty of betrayal; it is innocent even when Christ dies of it. Since love alone is able to carry out with impunity whatever it pleases. Only love can constrain God and, as it were, give him orders. This it was that caused him to descend from heaven and placed him on the cross; this it was that shed Christ's blood for the remission of sins in an act that was as innocent as it was salutary. All our thanksgiving for the salvation of the world is thus owing to love. And it constrains us, with inescapable logic, to love Christ as much as people were able to hate him.

 

"Blessed is she who believed"

Luke 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed."
He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." 

Commentary of the day :

Pope Francis
Apostolic Exhortation « Evangelii Gaudium /The Joy of the Gospel» § 288 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"Blessed is she who believed" (Lk 1,45)

Mary, Virgin and Mother,
you who, moved by the Holy Spirit,
welcomed the word of life
in the depths of your humble faith:
as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One,
help us to say our own “yes”
to the urgent call, as pressing as ever,
to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

Filled with Christ’s presence,
you brought joy to John the Baptist,
making him exult in the womb of his mother (Lk 1,41).
Brimming over with joy,
you sang of the great things done by God (Lk 1,46f).
Standing at the foot of the cross
with unyielding faith (Jn 19,25),
you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection,
and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit
so that the evangelizing Church might be born (Acts 1,14).

Obtain for us now a new ardour born of the resurrection,
that we may bring to all the Gospel of life
which triumphs over death.
Give us a holy courage to seek new paths,
that the gift of unfading beauty
may reach every man and woman.

Virgin of listening and contemplation (Lk 2,19),
Mother of fair love (Si 24,24 Vg),
Bride of the eternal wedding feast (Rev 19,7),
pray for the Church, whose pure icon you are,
that she may never be closed in on herself
or lose her passion for establishing God’s kingdom.

Star of the new evangelization,
help us to bear radiant witness to communion,
service, ardent and generous faith,
justice and love of the poor,
that the joy of the Gospel
may reach to the ends of the earth,
illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel,
wellspring of happiness for God’s little ones,
pray for us.

Amen. Alleluia!

Luke 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

Commentary of the day :

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Letter 130, to Proba on prayer, 11-12 (trans. cf Breviary, Tuesday of the 29th week)

"Teach us to pray"

We need words to help us recollect ourselves and see what we are asking for; not to make us suppose that the Lord must be given information or swayed by words. So when we say, “Hallowed be thy name,” we are counseling ourselves to desire that his name, which is always holy, may be held holy also among men; that is, that it may not be treated with contempt: and this for the benefit not of God but of men. When we say, “Thy kingdom come,” which will certainly come whether we wish it or not, we arouse our desire for that kingdom, that it may come for us, and that we may be worthy to reign therein. When we say, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are asking him for obedience for ourselves, that his will may be done in us as it is done in heaven by his angels…

When we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” we are advising ourselves both as to what we should ask for, and what we should do to be worthy to receive it… When we say, “Deliver us from evil,” we bring ourselves to reflect that we are not yet in that happy state where we shall suffer no evil. This last petition in the Lord's prayer has such a wide scope that a Christian may in any trouble express his pain by it, pour forth his tears, begin from it, linger over it, and end his prayer at this point.

It is necessary by these words to impress the realities themselves on our memory. For whatever other words we may say… if we are praying in the right way, we say nothing that has not already a place in the Lord’s prayer.