Objective of the week: To live out the pedagogy of ‘hacer-hacer’ respecting the different stages
IntroductionLast Week, we are softly reminded of the awareness that the preaching of the living Word of God puts people in contact with Christ and that we make disciples of Christ when they “come to know” Him, follow Him and, in turn, make other disciples. Therefore, the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, with the motto of the first disciples of Jesus, “Orationi et ministerio verbi instantes,” and the spirit of the first Christian community, centers its specific mission in the Word of God: to pray with the Word, assimilating it until it becomes our own life, transforming ourselves in it and teaching others to do the same, so that they may pray, live and teach it experientially to others. (Constitutions of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity #17) This week we are invited to a higher level of awareness. The manner in which the Branches function is determined by the maximum degree of apostolic effectiveness, which impels the members of the Fraternity to live the Kingdom of God and to help others to live it, to make and “enable others in turn to make” disciples with great respect for the persons concerned, in order that all people may share the Life of God in the measure that their personal talents allow. (Constitutions of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity #5) MondayAware of What is the Kingdom of God Like18 Then he said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? 19It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.’” 20Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed [in] with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” Luke 13:18-21 Disciples of Jesus grasp how essential is to form their spirituality more than anything else and they are aware that this kingdom of God which Jesus is telling us is open to everybody who wants to receive it. TuesdayConscious that we need to Pray and we need a community of believers12 In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, 16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 17And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 9Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all Luke 6:12-19 First, the true disciples never cease praying and never lose the connection to the main source of life, grace, mercy and faithfulness which sustains them in this journey of discipleship. Second, they need to draw strength from their companion and conscious that it is impossible to do the discipleship alone WednesdayRecognize our blind spot and Seek help for ImprovementThey came to Jericho, and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. 47 On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” 48And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” 49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” 50He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” 52Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:46-52 As co-disciples, we need to work together and fill in the weaknesses of each other and compliments our strengths recognizing that we are in one body of Christ. With Jesus nothing is impossible. ThursdayCognizant of the bright side of hardshipsWhat then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? 33Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. 34Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 36As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 Well, it’s true that all disciples of Christ underwent persecutions and difficulties yet it never stops there. We are confident and assured that the love of Christ Jesus will always be there all throughout our life. FridayGet used to the family where we need to belongSo then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 21Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; 22in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 After all the ups and downs of life surviving from difficult situations and celebrating life’s fulfillment all by the grace of God allows us to experience a true family of faithful believers of Christ. SaturdaySensible to Gods Compassion7For thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has saved his people, the remnant of Israel. 8Look! I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the earth, the blind and the lame in their midst, Pregnant women, together with those in labor—an immense throng—they shall return. 9With weeping they shall come, but with compassion I will guide them; I will lead them to streams of water, on a level road, without stumbling. For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my firstborn Jeremiah 31:7-9 In this journey, somehow at some point, we feel the unworthiness of being one of Jesus’ disciples yet Jesus always have that string which pulls us back just in time. Sunday30th Sunday in Ordinary Time1st Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1-2a,2b-3,4-6 2nd Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52 Comments are closed.
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