General Theme: “…He saw this large crowd and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) General Objective: - to see God present and working in the different realities of the people. - to live our dedication as a Verbum Dei Missionary Family in our different realities. - to let God transform us into missionaries for the world. Objective of the week: To see how the Lord reaches out to every person in every reality and made them welcome.
INTRODUCTION
As we enter the new month, we continue with the theme of the Mission. Last month was the experience of living out joyfully our dedication as a Verbum Dei disciple and as a child of God. We knew that this joy is brought about when we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us beyond frontiers. As we let the Holy Spirit lead us, He makes us see God so much present in the different realities of the world and in our realities as well. Celebrating recently the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi, we see Jesus in the Eucharist coming down to the level of each reality and reaching out to them. He gives himself fully and generously. He gives us everything. He is a God who is not indifferent to anyone but welcomes them and is ever present to every person. He feeds them with the best of food and makes them happy. Psalm 132:14-15 14 'Here shall I rest for evermore, here shall I make my home as I have wished. 15 'I shall generously bless her produce, give her needy their fill of food. Even in the Old Testament, we have seen how God himself is ever present, leading His people and loving them. The prophets themselves showed how God is truly a missionary reaching out many times and in many ways to so many realities of His people. Even today in the Eucharist, we know and believe that Jesus continues to touch so many hearts of people. Let us come to Him and enter in His same missionary Spirit. May we as a Verbum Dei Missionary Family, consisting of different realities, live our specific dedication touching the different realities of the world. MONDAY He comes to reach out to every person Luke 15:3-7 3 So he told them this parable: 4 'Which one of you with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the missing one till he found it? 5 And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders 6 and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, I have found my sheep that was lost." 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine upright people who have no need of repentance. Ezekiel 34:11-16 11 "For the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it. 12 As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so shall I look after my sheep. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered on the day of clouds and darkness. 13 I shall bring them back from the peoples where they are; I shall gather them back from the countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the inhabited parts of the country. 14 I shall feed them in good pasturage; the highest mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing grounds; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself shall pasture my sheep, I myself shall give them rest -- declares the Lord Yahweh. 16 I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them. Jesus in the Eucharist is a missionary. He reaches out to every person, touching their hearts, like a good shepherd looking for the ones who are lost. He did this by lowering himself in the humblest way possible in order to reach out to us. TUESDAY He is ever present to everyone Hebrews 1:1-2 At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but 2 in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. Luke 1:49-55 49 for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, 50 and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him. 51 He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart. 52 He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly. 53 He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty. 54 He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love 55 -according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever. Jesus reveals himself as real presence in the Eucharist. He is ever present with all of us through all generations. We have known that since the Old Testament, the Lord has always been actively present with His people. Mama Mary herself expressed this in the Magnificat. WEDNESDAY He welcomes everyone. Luke 9:11 11 But the crowds got to know and they went after him. He made them welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing. Isaiah 55:1-3 Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money, free! 2 Why spend money on what cannot nourish and your wages on what fails to satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. 3 Pay attention, come to me; listen, and you will live. I shall make an everlasting covenant with you in fulfilment of the favours promised to David. A Church which “goes forth” is a Church whose doors are open. Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way. At times we have to be like the father of the prodigal son, who always keeps his door open so that when the son returns, he can readily pass through it. (Evangelii Gaudium 49) THURSDAY He gave us everything. 2 Peter 1:2-8 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of our Lord. 3 By his divine power, he has lavished on us all the things we need for life and for true devotion, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these, the greatest and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that through them you should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife in the world through disordered passion. 5 With this in view, do your utmost to support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding, 6 understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with devotion, 7 devotion with kindness to the brothers, and kindness to the brothers with love. 8 The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive. The Lord gave us everything in order that we can live the mission. Recognize and discover these gifts. FRIDAY He has made us happy Isaiah 9:1-2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death light has blazed forth. 2 You have enlarged the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest time, as they exult when they are dividing the spoils. Jeremiah 31:10-14 10 Listen, nations, to the word of Yahweh. On the farthest coasts and islands proclaim it, say, 'He who scattered Israel is gathering him, will guard him as a shepherd guarding his flock.' 11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own. 12 They will come, shouting for joy on the heights of Zion, thronging towards Yahweh's lavish gifts, for wheat, new wine and oil, sheep and cattle; they will be like a well-watered garden, they will sorrow no more. 13 The young girl will then take pleasure in the dance, and young men and old alike; I shall change their mourning into gladness, comfort them, give them joy after their troubles; 14 I shall refresh my priests with rich food, and my people will gorge themselves on my lavish gifts, Yahweh declares. The Lord is making us happy each day. This is how He is reaching out to us. SATURDAY You yourselves give them something to eat. Luke 9:12-17 12 It was late afternoon when the Twelve came up to him and said, 'Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.' 13 He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' But they said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.' 14 For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, 'Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.' 15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. 17 They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps left over were collected they filled twelve baskets. Give what has been freely given to you. SUNDAY 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30 2nd Reading: Galatians 1:11-17, 19 Gospel: Luke 7:11-17 Comments are closed.
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