READINGS for 2009-06-20
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
LOSING jESUS
After three days they found him… – Luke 2:46
How can parents lose their only child? Let me explain so we can have a clearer picture.
It’s customary for Jews to go on a pilgrimage to the temple once a year. A practice during this pilgrimage is that the men travel separately from the women and children. They just meet at the camp at the end of the day. Children up to age 11travel with their mothers. But when they reach the age of 12, when boys are considered as men, they travel with the men.
When Jesus was left behind in the temple, he was 12 years old. Mother Mary thought all along that Jesus had joined His father Joseph on the return trip of the pilgrimage. Joseph, for his part, thought that Jesus was with Mary. The transition of His age confused His parents.
Mary and Joseph did not lose Jesus because of neglect. They lost Jesus because of respect. They allowed Jesus to go where He wanted to go.
They allowed Jesus to do what He wanted to do.
And that Jesus did.
He went to the temple and went about His Father’s business.Arun Gogna
REFLECTION:
Do you allow Jesus to do what He wants with your life?
Lord Jesus, do what You want with my life.
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1st READING
There are numerous ways of looking at devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Church. One is to see her as the exalted Queen of Heaven and another to see her as the holy and spotless one who gave her simple ‘yes’ in response to God’s call and so played a big part in changing human history forever. I think Mary would prefer us to remember her in her humility and littleness, and yet in this, her obedience
to God, still capable of making a difference.
Isaiah 61:9-11 (or 2 Corinthians 12:1-10)
9 Thus says the LORD: Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them as a race the LORD has blessed. 10 I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. 11 As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.
P S A L M
Psalm 34: 8-9. 10-11. 12-13
R: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
7 [8] The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the LORD is; happy the man who takes refuge in him. (R) 9 [10] Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. 10 [11] The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing. (R) 11 [12] Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 [13] Which of you desires life, and takes delight in prosperous days? (R)
G O S P E L
Mary did not fully understand her call any more than we do our own calls. So much of the way God works in and through our lives remains a mystery but this does not mean that it is anything less than real. It is simply part of the nature of faith that we have to trust that God knows what he is doing, even if we cannot fully understand it.
Luke 2:41-52 (or Matthew 6:24-34)
41 Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
my reflections
think: It is simply part of the nature of faith that we have to trust that God knows what He is doing, even if we cannot fully understand it.
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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Samuel 29-31
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Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
mAry’s heArt For us All
Mary stands before us at all times as a wonderful example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. If only we would be more faithful to living that example in our lives, the world would be a much more just place to live. Mary’s love for us is a love that intercedes for us before her Son, and a love that weeps for us when we stray from the will of God. Mary stands before us as the perfect example of what it means to humbly make God’s will one’s own and to be faithful to that for a lifetime.
We live in a world that is largely empowered by selfishness. People work incredibly hard to get what they want out of life. I honestly believe that if we really listened to the will of God for our lives, we would be happier and spend a lot more time enjoying what we have instead of yearning for what we have not yet been able to acquire.
We live in the age of acquisition. By this I mean our lives are governed by the principle of working to achieve the end of gaining what I do not yet have. The most content, and hence the happiest and most fulfilled people I know are generally those who have made a choice about “enough being enough.” They have chosen to take themselves off the endless treadmill of needing the latest model of this and the latest model of that and decided that it is time to enjoy what they have before they are too old to enjoy anything.
Most of the “things” we desire we do not need. These “things” may make life easier or may provide a certain amount of pleasure but can I say I really need them and that without them my life is empty? I will bet that most of the things you desire you do not really need and you would be able to live a truly content life without them. I dare you to take up the challenge. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
Reflection Question:
How much of my life is spent striving for things that are passing away? How many of them do I truly need?
Jesus, help me to be satisfied with doing Your will for my life — nothing more and nothing less! I believe this is the simple secret of true happiness.
St. Siverius, Pope, pray for us.
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