Gospel Reflections for January 13 2018
I have a message from God!
I actually don’t …but does it make you nervous whenever people say that? It should. Who knows whether a “message from God” is real? Anyone could make an outrageous claim and say it’s from God. That’s what radical Islamic terrorists do all the time.
Catholics always check objective sources about any “divine message” to verify authenticity. We know that God never contradicts Himself, so you can ask if a new message conforms to the scriptures and traditions that God has already revealed. Does this new message help you better love God, your neighbor or yourself? Finally, and most important, does it make simple common sense?
Every sacrament also has this same kind of public verification. We do not baptize, confirm, or absolve ourselves from our own sin! Our faith is not an entirely private event but must be recognizable and visible to others as well. Jesus affirms this when He presents Himself to John at the Jordan River and requests Baptism.
He affirms—even over John’s objections—the goodness of this kind of objective review, and willingly submits with a beautiful spirit of honesty and humility. His Father in heaven instantly votes His approval with a public message of acceptance and love.
Confirmation sponsors, wedding witnesses, and priests in confession all assure that others see and affirm our faith, commitment, and contrition. There is a profound wisdom and good old common sense that Jesus had in setting up these sacraments in this public way. They help encourage the same level of honesty and humility that He had at the Jordan River and ensure the same vote of approval from Our Father in Heaven.
Next weekend is our annual Respect Life Sunday that affirms our reverence for all human life from conception to natural death. We publicly affirm that is an authentic message from God!
In two weeks, on the January 27th weekend, our area of Los Angeles will receive the new UNIVERSITY SERIES catalog, which will offer more than 70 Catholic Adult Education sessions during Lent, each designed to help you understand the Lord more and His way for your true happiness. You will also be able to preregister online at our website coming soon.
Our Lord invites you to discern, recognize, and thoughtfully determine the authentic and reliable wisdom of God for your life. His wisdom can change everything for the better!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
We have a weekly Cursillo “Men’s Grouping”. It has only four members, but I get a lot out of it. Our task is to read a book during the meeting and discuss it. The topics can be very far reaching, but that’s OK. We finished the Catechism of the Catholic Church and are now reading the New Testament.
I believe that God speaks to us as we read the Scripture and hear what others have to share. I think that God will also speak to us in some ways during the University Series.
Yes, a small discussion group is great for group review of opinions. You are lucky to have such a group.
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our University Series for the beauty of our Faith is so preciously presented and loveeeeeeeeeee grows and grows in our hearts for living and sharing our miracle Faith with others!!! The University Series is like a rip tide of God’s love to overwhelm the world to live in love and peace!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you for giving us Jesus and this fabulous Univerrsity series!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick and yes I do loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee vowels for they express my loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Thank you!
Thank you for your catachesis.
You are very welcome!
Yes it is all there in the Bible and Church History. We need as Catholic Christians to read and study what is truth. Not to come up with our own meaning. The Sacraments are there and very important for our salvation. Fr. Gregorio is forever telling us the Greek wore n the meaning behind it. Just in learning one word and how it was understood brings light to things.
Yes, many times the original Greek meaning of the word brings new insights that the English words sometimes cannot express.