General Theme: “I am eaten up with missionary zeal for your house (cf. John 2:17)” General Objective: - To awaken ourselves to the realities we see in the world today. - To listen and to know what the Lord has to say in these realities. Objective of the week: To encounter and experience deeply the missionary zeal of the Lord coming from His mercy.
INTRODUCTION
We are a people in pilgrimage. We are a missionary people on a constant journey. In this journey, we are sent as an evangelizing Church. Sent to proclaim the Gospel to all. What is the field? The field is the world. “the field is the world and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom.”(Matthew 13:38) God works in the world, not simply in the Church. The world is a mixed reality, both good and bad but the community cannot insulate itself from the weeds… the community’s place is precisely in the world, in the midst of the weeds and the wheat. …by being alert to the world and its drama where the Spirit is also at work… (The Field is the World: Evangelizing the Secular World – Fr. Thomas Rosica – IEC 2016 Theological Symposium) So much has happened in this journey as we started the year. With all the richness experienced during the IEC event, many things have been renewed and refreshed. One of these is the missionary zeal we were invited to live as a pilgrim Church. Let us renew this zeal once again as a community, starting this month and allow Jesus to bring us more closer to the source of his missionary zeal. MONDAY Tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you. Mark 5:15-20 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the man who had had the legion in him -- properly dressed and in his full senses, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. 17 Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. 19 Jesus would not let him but said to him, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' 20 So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed. Where does our missionary zeal come from? It is from our experience of mercy. TUESDAY The salvation in the sight of the nations, a light of revelation. (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) Luke 2:25-35 25 Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to the restoration of Israel and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. 27 Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, 28 he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said: 29 Now, Master, you are letting your servant go in peace as you promised; 30 for my eyes have seen the salvation 31 which you have made ready in the sight of the nations; 32 a light of revelation for the gentiles and glory for your people Israel. 33 As the child's father and mother were wondering at the things that were being said about him, 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed- 35 and a sword will pierce your soul too -- so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.' The missionary zeal is clearly revealed in the sight of all the nations. He is the light for everyone to see and bring to the surface the whole truth. Let Jesus bring to light all the realities of the world of today. WEDNESDAY Where did this man get all this? Mark 6:1-6 Leaving that district, he went to his home town, and his disciples accompanied him. 2 With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, 'Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? 3 This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?' And they would not accept him. 4 And Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house'; 5 and he could work no miracle there, except that he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. He made a tour round the villages, teaching. The zeal to reach out and bring the Gospel was not welcomed by all. We must be aware that challenges will come along the way. But challenges should never put out this missionary zeal. THURSDAY Sent off to proclaim repentance Mark 6:7-13 7 Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8 And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. 9 They were to wear sandals but, he added, 'Don't take a spare tunic.' 10 And he said to them, 'If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. 11 And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust under your feet as evidence to them.' 12 So they set off to proclaim repentance; 13 and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them. Missionary zeal is a consequence and grows as we take part more closely in the same missionary work of Jesus. We need to experience each day being sent by Him personally and as a missionary people. FRIDAY I am eaten up with zeal for your house John 2:13-17 13 When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there. 15 Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over 16 and said to the dove sellers, 'Take all this out of here and stop using my Father's house as a market.' 17 Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house. Jesus reveals to us his deepest desire that moves him in his life. This is the zeal for all of humanity – temples of the Holy Spirit. Dwelling place of God. His zeal for the life and salvation of each person must be our very own. SATURDAY He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd Mark 6:30-34 30 The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, 'Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while'; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. 33 But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. 34 So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length. Jesus brings us to his same missionary zeal upon seeing the reality of the world before his eyes. He didn’t stop there at the feeling of pity, but zeal brought Him to be creative in his generosity. SUNDAY 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 Comments are closed.
|
Weekly Prayer GuidelinesRead this week's guidelines to help you deepen in the Word of God for today. Archives
December 2016
Categories
All
|