Photo: The fishbone

 

Prayer by Elizabeth Johnson – Consider Jesus p. 123

There is excessive suffering of the innocent, the undeserved suffering of millions of people at the hands of other people who gain advantage from this. The suffering is like a surd in history. It does not make sense; it wrecks every theory constructed to explain it. This is the deep mystery of evil at work in the world.

Photo: Through the Looking Glass

 

Poem: “To St. John Baptist” by Henry Constable

As Anne long barren, Mother did become
of him, who last was Judge in Israel:
Thou last of prophets borne like Samuel
Did’st from a womb past hope of issue come.
His mother silent spake: thy father dumb
Recovering speech, God’s wonder did foretell:
He after death a prophet was in hell:
And thou unborn within thy mother’s womb:
He did anoint the king, whom God did take
From charge of sheep, to rule his chosen land:
But that high king who heaven & earth did make
Received a holier liquor from thy hand,
When God his flock in human shape did feed,
As Israel’s king kept his in shepherd’s weed.

Photo: Bank on it

 

Prayer: Pope Francis

 Lord of the harvest, bless young people with the gift of courage to respond to your call. Inspire all your disciples to mutual love and giving - for vocations blossom in the good soil of faithful people. Instill those in religious life, parish ministries, and families with the confidence and grace to invite others to embrace the bold and noble path of a life consecrated to you. 

Spirituality: Meg Day from the article "Interview with Meg Day" in Inscape Journal

I think often we get sidetracked around the public responsibility of the poet. We don't spend a lot of time talking about the private responsibility of the poet. Which maybe we should. Very recently, I had my thesis students start "required daydreaming." They have to sit there and daydream. And they can't do anything else.

Photo: Coffee or Tea?

 

Spirituality: Isaac Penington, Quaker mystic

Give over thine own willing. Give over thine own running. Give over thine own desiring to know or be anything, and sink down to the seed which God chose in thy heart, and let that grow in thee, and be in thee, and breathe in thee, and act in thee, and thou shalt find by sweet experience that the Lord knows that, and loves and owns that, and will lead it to the inheritance of life, which is God's portion.

Photo: Slide

 

Spirituality: Oscar Romero

 It is not my poor word that sows hope and faith; I am no more than God’s humble echo in this people, speaking to those chosen as God’s scourges, who practice violence in so many ways. But let them beware.

 When God no longer needs them, he will cast them into the fire. Let them instead be converted in time.

 And to those who suffer the scourges and do not understand the why of the injustices and abuses: Have faith. Give yourselves, will and mind and heart, entire. God has his time. Our missing ones are not missing to God’s eyes, and those who have taken them away are present also to God’s justice. For all of them, and for a world that suffers uncertainty, let us pray for the assurance of faith. 

OCTOBER 2, 1977

Choosing to Enter the Storm: The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

                                                  Choosing to Enter the Storm:

The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 

June 23, 2024

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Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

 

The readings give us images of storms and their stoppage. In Job, the Lord reminds him that it is He who controls the storms and puts up the boundaries. In Mark, it is Jesus, the Lord, who controls the storms and has power over the natural world. We can see the type of the disciples’ fear when it moves from terror of the uncontrollable to reverential fear of the power of Jesus. Jesus still leads the people on, “Let us move to the other side.”

 

Jesus assures us that with his presence, he can still our inner storms. He also assures us that we can enter any storm and find him at the center, which ought to keep us balanced and grounded in trust. Each of us has faced storms when we did not think we had much control or that there were too many pieces of chaos for us to see the way forward clearly. There are so many stimuli and voices in our world that compete for our attention and are designed to get us rattled and stay off track. That is the work of the evil spirit. We must acknowledge that we may feed the fury of the storm and make it feel more intense than it is. When we are in the middle of the turbulence, we can trust in Jesus, which deprives the situation of needless worry and anxiety. We can choose not to devote energy to parts of the storm to make it manageable.

 

Few can rightly see the way forward if they are looking at the elements of the storm. We get distracted with less important aspects and less central components, which stop us from detecting a pathway out of the storm. When we can catch our breath and regulate us, it brings us to our center, which helps us to see more clearly. With reduced tensions, we can begin to look for opportunities, and when we do that, we have reclaimed our power and authority. Life does not have to define us. We can define the particulars of life. We can see that we have choices and options, rather than being stripped of our authority.

 

Jesus is trying to get us to the other side. He is trying to lead us to a future that is safe, open, and filled with creative opportunities. It is when we recognize what he is doing, we can be filled with awe and reverence. We let go of the smaller obstacles in life, so we can embrace the future. He knows we get off track when we lose our center, which is the reason for us to return to our breath, the source of life, the place of home and connectedness, and he wants us to model his serenity during our storms. It is when we breathe and collect ourselves that we can see his support in our sufferings and struggles. Once we realize he is with us, our whole perception changes. Let us follow him to the other side. Let us go forward with him in trust. The whole universe is open to us who have eyes to see and ears to hear. We will continually say to each other, “Who is this who leads us forward in trust and comfort.?” We will revere him and find ourselves assured at the core of our beings.             

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Isaiah 49) Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.

 

Tuesday: (2 Kings 10) Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiah with this message: “Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.

 

Wednesday: (2 Kings 22) The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan, "I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

 

Thursday: (2 Kings 24) Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his forebears had done.

 

Friday (2 Kings 25) In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it, and built siege walls on every side.

 

Saturday (Acts 3) Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 1) When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 7) Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.“

 

Wednesday (Matthew 7) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

 

Thursday (Matthew 7) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

 

Friday (Matthew 8) When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it.  Be made clean.”

 

Saturday (John 21) Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and, when they had finished breakfast, said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

 

Saints of the Week

 

June 24: Nativity of John the Baptist (first century) was celebrated on June 24^th to remind us that he was six months older than Jesus, according to Luke. This day also serves to remind us that, as Christ is the light of the world, John must decrease just as the daylight diminishes. John’s birth is told by Luke. He was the son of the mature Elizabeth and the dumbstruck Zechariah. When John was named, Zechariah’s tongue was loosened and he sang the great Benedictus.

 

June 27: Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor (376-444), presided over the Council of Ephesus that fought Nestorian the heresy. Cyril claimed, contrary to Nestorius, that since the divine and human in Jesus were so closely united that it was appropriate to refer to Mary was the mother of God. Because he condemned Nestorius, the church went through a schism that lasted until Cyril's death. Cyril's power, wealth, and theological expertise influenced many as he defended the church against opposing philosophies. 

 

June 28: Irenaeus, bishop and martyr (130-200) was sent to Lyons as a missionary to combat the persecution the church faced in Lyons. He was born in Asia Minor and became a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus asserted that the creation was not sinful by nature but merely distorted by sin. As God created us, God redeemed us. Therefore, our fallen nature can only be saved by Christ who took on our form in the Incarnation. Irenaeus refutation of heresies laid the foundations of Christian theology.

 

June 29: Peter and Paul, apostles (first century) are lumped together for a feast day because of their extreme importance to the early and contemporary church. Upon Peter's faith was the church built; Paul's efforts to bring Gentiles into the faith and to lay out a moral code was important for successive generations. It is right that they are joined together as their work is one, but with two prongs. For Jesuits, this is a day that Ignatius began to recover from his illness after the wounds he sustained at Pamplona. It marked a turning point in his recovery.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• June 23, 1967. Saint Louis University's Board of Trustees gathered at Fordyce House for the first meeting of the expanded Board of Trustees. SLU was the first Catholic university to establish a Board of Trustees with a majority of lay members. 
• June 24, 1537. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and five of the companions were ordained priests in Venice, Italy. 
• June 25, 1782. The Jesuits in White Russia were permitted by the Empress Catherine to elect a General. They chose Fr. Czerniewicz. He took the title of Vicar General, with the powers of the General. 
• June 26, 1614. By a ruse of the Calvinists, the book, "Defensio Fidei" by Francis Suarez was condemned by the French Parliament. In addition, in England James I ordered the book to be publicly burned. 
• June 27, 1978. Bernard Lisson, a mechanic, and Gregor Richert, a parish priest, were shot to death at St Rupert's Mission, Sinoia, Zimbabwe. 
• June 28, 1591. Fr. Leonard Lessius's teaching on grace and predestination caused a great deal of excitement and agitation against the Society in Louvain and Douai. The Papal Nuncio and Pope Gregory XIV both declared that his teaching was perfectly orthodox. 
• June 29, 1880. In France the law of spoliation, which was passed at the end of March, came into effect and all the Jesuit Houses and Colleges were suppressed.

Elegir entrar en la tormenta: El Duodécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024

                                                   Elegir entrar en la tormenta:

El Duodécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024

23 de junio de 2024

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predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Trabajo 38:1-11; Salmo 107; 2 Corintios 5:14-17; Marcos 4:35-41

 

Las lecturas nos dan imágenes de las tormentas y su paralización. En Job, el Señor le recuerda que es Él quien controla las tormentas y pone los límites. En Marcos, es Jesús, el Señor, quien controla las tormentas y tiene poder sobre el mundo natural. Podemos ver el tipo de temor de los discípulos cuando pasa del terror a lo incontrolable al temor reverencial al poder de Jesús. Jesús todavía guía a la gente: "Pasemos al otro lado".

 

Jesús nos asegura que con su presencia puede calmar nuestras tormentas interiores. También nos asegura que podemos afrontar cualquier tormenta y encontrarlo en el centro, lo que debería mantenernos equilibrados y cimentados en la confianza. Cada uno de nosotros ha enfrentado tormentas en las que creíamos que no teníamos mucho control o que había demasiados pedazos de caos como para ver claramente el camino a seguir. Hay tantos estímulos y voces en nuestro mundo que compiten por nuestra atención y están diseñados para ponernos nerviosos y desviarnos del camino. Esa es la obra del espíritu maligno. Debemos reconocer que podemos alimentar la furia de la tormenta y hacerla sentir más intensa de lo que es. Cuando estamos en medio de la turbulencia, podemos confiar en Jesús, lo que priva a la situación de preocupaciones y ansiedades innecesarias. Podemos optar por no dedicar energía a partes de la tormenta para hacerla manejable.

 

Pocos pueden ver correctamente el camino a seguir si observan los elementos de la tormenta. Nos distraemos con aspectos menos importantes y componentes menos centrales, lo que nos impide detectar una salida a la tormenta. Cuando podemos recuperar el aliento y regularnos, nos lleva a nuestro centro, lo que nos ayuda a ver con mayor claridad. Al reducir las tensiones, podemos empezar a buscar oportunidades y, cuando lo hagamos, habremos reclamado nuestro poder y autoridad. La vida no tiene por qué definirnos. Podemos definir los detalles de la vida. Podemos ver que tenemos elecciones y opciones, en lugar de que nos despojen de nuestra autoridad.

 

Jesús está tratando de llevarnos al otro lado. Él está tratando de llevarnos a un futuro seguro, abierto y lleno de oportunidades creativas. Cuando reconocemos lo que está haciendo, podemos sentirnos llenos de asombro y reverencia. Dejamos de lado los obstáculos más pequeños de la vida para poder abrazar el futuro. Él sabe que nos desviamos cuando perdemos nuestro centro, que es la razón por la que volvemos a nuestra respiración, la fuente de vida, el lugar de hogar y conexión, y quiere que seamos modelo de su serenidad durante nuestras tormentas. Es cuando respiramos y nos recuperamos que podemos ver su apoyo en nuestros sufrimientos y luchas. Una vez que nos damos cuenta de que él está con nosotros, toda nuestra percepción cambia. Sigámoslo hasta el otro lado. Sigamos adelante con él en confianza. El universo entero está abierto para nosotros que tenemos ojos para ver y oídos para oír. Continuamente nos diremos unos a otros: “¿Quién es éste que nos guía hacia adelante con confianza y consuelo?” Lo reverenciaremos y nos encontraremos seguros en el centro de nuestro ser.      

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (Isaías 49 ) Oídme, oh costas, oíd, oh pueblos lejanos. El Señor me llamó desde el nacimiento, desde el vientre de mi madre me dio mi nombre.

 

Martes: (2 Reyes 10 ) Senaquerib, rey de Asiria, envió enviados a Ezequías con este mensaje: “Así diréis a Ezequías, rey de Judá: 'No dejes que tu Dios en quien confías te engañe diciendo que Jerusalén no será entregado al rey de Asiria.

 

Miércoles: (2 Reyes 22 ) El sumo sacerdote Hilcías informó al escriba Safán : "He encontrado el libro de la ley en el templo de Jehová". Hilcías le dio el libro a Safán , quien lo leyó.

 

Jueves: (2 Reyes 24 ) Joaquín tenía dieciocho años cuando comenzó a reinar, y reinó tres meses en Jerusalén. El nombre de su madre era Nehushta , hija de Elnatán de Jerusalén. Hizo lo malo ante los ojos del Señor, tal como lo habían hecho sus antepasados.

 

Viernes (2 Reyes 25 ) En el mes décimo del año noveno del reinado de Sedequías, el día diez del mes, Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, y todo su ejército avanzaron contra Jerusalén, acamparon alrededor de ella y construyeron muros de asedio en todas partes. lado.

 

Sábado (Hechos 3 ) Pedro y Juan iban al área del templo para la hora de oración de las tres. Y un hombre cojo de nacimiento era llevado y colocado a la puerta del templo llamado “la Puerta Hermosa” todos los días para pedir limosna a la gente que entraba al templo.

 

Evangelio:

Lunes: (Lucas 1) Cuando llegó el momento de que Isabel tuviera su hijo, dio a luz un hijo. Sus vecinos y parientes oyeron que el Señor había mostrado su gran misericordia hacia ella, y se regocijaron con ella.

 

Martes: (Mateo 7 ) No deis lo santo a los perros, ni echéis vuestras perlas delante de los cerdos, no sea que las pisoteen, y se vuelvan y os despedacen. “Haz a los demás lo que quieras que te hagan a ti. Esta es la Ley y los Profetas."

 

Miércoles (Mateo 7 ) Guardaos de los falsos profetas, que vienen a vosotros vestidos de ovejas, 
pero debajo hay lobos rapaces. Por sus frutos los conoceréis. ¿Se recogen uvas de los espinos o higos de los abrojos?

 

Jueves ( Mateo 7 ) No todo el que me dice: 'Señor, Señor', entrará en el Reino de los cielos, sino sólo el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos. Muchos me dirán aquel día: 'Señor, Señor, ¿no profetizamos en tu nombre?

 

Viernes (Mateo 8) Cuando Jesús descendió del monte, lo seguía una gran multitud. Y entonces se acercó un leproso, le rindió homenaje y le dijo: “Señor, si quieres, puedes limpiarme”. Extendió su mano, lo tocó y dijo: “Lo haré.  Quedad limpios”.

 

El sábado (Juan 21 ) Jesús se había revelado a sus discípulos y, cuando terminaron de desayunar, dijo a Simón Pedro: “Simón, hijo de Juan, ¿me amas más que éstos?” Simón Pedro le respondió: “Sí, Señor, tú sabes que te amo”.

 

Santos de la semana

 

24 de junio: El ^{24 de} junio se celebró la Natividad de Juan Bautista (siglo I) para recordarnos que era seis meses mayor que Jesús, según Lucas. Este día también sirve para recordarnos que, como Cristo es la luz del mundo, Juan debe disminuir así como disminuye la luz del día. Lucas cuenta el nacimiento de Juan. Era hijo de la madura Isabel y del estupefacto Zacarías. Cuando se nombró a Juan, la lengua de Zacarías se soltó y cantó el gran Benedictus.

 

27 de junio: Cirilo de Alejandría, obispo y médico (376-444), presidió el Concilio de Éfeso que combatió la herejía nestoriana. Cirilo afirmó, contrariamente a Nestorio, que dado que lo divino y lo humano en Jesús estaban tan estrechamente unidos que era apropiado referirse a María como la madre de Dios. Debido a que condenó a Nestorio, la iglesia sufrió un cisma que duró hasta la muerte de Cirilo. El poder, la riqueza y la experiencia teológica de Cirilo influyeron en muchos mientras defendía a la iglesia contra filosofías opuestas.

 

28 de junio: Ireneo, obispo y mártir (130-200) fue enviado a Lyon como misionero para combatir la persecución que enfrentaba la iglesia en Lyon. Nació en Asia Menor y se convirtió en discípulo de Policarpo, quien fue discípulo del apóstol Juan. Ireneo afirmó que la creación no era pecaminosa por naturaleza sino simplemente distorsionada por el pecado. Como Dios nos creó, Dios nos redimió. Por lo tanto, nuestra naturaleza caída sólo puede ser salvada por Cristo que tomó nuestra forma en la Encarnación. La refutación de las herejías por parte de Ireneo sentó las bases de la teología cristiana.

 

29 de junio: Pedro y Pablo, apóstoles (siglo I), son agrupados en un día festivo debido a su extrema importancia para la iglesia primitiva y contemporánea. Sobre la fe de Pedro se construyó la iglesia; Los esfuerzos de Pablo por atraer a los gentiles a la fe y establecer un código moral fueron importantes para las generaciones sucesivas. Es justo que estén unidos porque su trabajo es uno, pero con dos puntas. Para los jesuitas, este es el día en el que Ignacio comenzó a recuperarse de su enfermedad tras las heridas sufridas en Pamplona. Marcó un punto de inflexión en su recuperación.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 23 de junio de 1967. El Patronato de la Universidad de Saint Louis se reunió en Fordyce House para la primera reunión del Patronato ampliado. SLU fue la primera universidad católica en establecer un Patronato con una mayoría de miembros laicos.
• 24 de junio de 1537. Ignacio, Francisco Javier y cinco de sus compañeros fueron ordenados sacerdotes en Venecia, Italia.
• 25 de junio de 1782. La emperatriz Catalina permitió a los jesuitas de la Rusia Blanca elegir un general. Eligieron al P. Czerniewicz . Tomó el título de Vicario General, con las facultades del General.
• 26 de junio de 1614. Por una artimaña de los calvinistas, el libro " Defensio Fidei " de Francisco Suárez fue condenado por el Parlamento francés. Además, en Inglaterra, Jacobo I ordenó que el libro fuera quemado públicamente.
• 27 de junio de 1978. Bernard Lisson , mecánico, y Gregor Richert , párroco, fueron asesinados a tiros en la misión de St Rupert, Sinoia , Zimbabwe.
• 28 de junio de 1591. P. Las enseñanzas de Leonardo Lessius sobre la gracia y la predestinación causaron gran entusiasmo y agitación contra la Sociedad en Lovaina y Douai. Tanto el nuncio papal como el papa Gregorio XIV declararon que su enseñanza era perfectamente ortodoxa.
• 29 de junio de 1880. En Francia entró en vigor la ley de expoliación, aprobada a finales de marzo, y fueron suprimidas todas las Casas y Colegios de los Jesuitas.

Photo: At the end of the Day

 

Spirituality: Macrina Wiederkehr in Seven Sacred Pauses

Compline always ends with what monastics call the “great silence.” We move into the healing silence of the night…Silence is like a river of grace inviting us to leap unafraid into its beckoning depths. It is dark and mysterious in the waters of grace. Yet in the silent darkness we are given new eyes. In the heart of the divine we can see more clearly who we are. We are renewed and cleansed in this river of silence.

Photo: A Fountain among Life

 

Spirituality: A story of Courage

I received an email from a remarkable woman who is deeply committed to her faith. I am sharing part of her story on this page because of her fortitude, courage, and grace to move forward in faith. Her name is Thao Nguyen and she writes,

With God's grace, I was able to overcome tremendous adversity, including prejudice and the loss of my family in a fatal car accident after immigrating to America. I’m an Amerasian, one of the “Children of the Vietnam War,” who immigrated to the United States in 1989 when I was 18. My father was an African-American soldier and my mother was Vietnamese.

Despite the odds, I was able to earn a college degree and have a successful career. I've since written a memoir to encourage others who've suffered or are currently suffering due to difficult trials. My mission is to share compassion with others on their journey to joy. I try not to waste any moment of my life now. If I have a chance to do something good, I take it.

My website address is AnAmerasianLife.com.

Photo: Nebraska at Night

 

Prayer: Ignatius of Loyola

Lord Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of your presence, love, and strength. Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to you, we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will through all things.

Prayer: Prayer for Good Humor by St. Thomas More

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.

Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.

Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good

and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,

but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.

Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,

nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”

Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.

Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,

and to be able to share it with others.

Photo: Relax

 

Spirituality: The Ignatian Presupposition

“… it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if one cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If the meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; if this is not enough, one should search out every  appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved.”

 

Adapted from the Spiritual Exercises [22] by Katherine Dyckman, Mary Garvin, and Elizabeth Liebert in The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed

 

How many times have you felt that something you said or did was misunderstood by someone else? And, not only misunderstood, but interpreted in such negative way that it had nothing to do with what you really meant or intended? It’s enough to make you start to question the other person’s motives, even questioning their good will towards you.

 

At the beginning of the book, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, Ignatius gives an instruction to the one who is guiding the retreatant and the one who is making the Exercises about how they are to relate to one another. We’ve come to call this instruction, the “Ignatian Presupposition.” 

 

Essentially, it asks the guide and retreatant to 1) give the other the benefit of the doubt; 2) ask clarifying questions when unsure about the position of the other; 3) correct the other with love, when necessary; and 4) search for mutually acceptable solutions.

 

The Presupposition is a fundamental attitude towards others, choosing to see their God-given goodness before anything else. It is not an invitation to others to walk all over us or an excuse to ignore evidence of a malicious intent. Practicing the Presupposition expresses a desire to find common ground so as to work together to further the flourishing of the reign of God.

 

A note on good intentions and harm

Good intentions do not absolve a person from any harm they may have caused.

 

The Presupposition does not seek to get a person off the hook for responsibility for their actions or the impact of their actions. We presume good intent to avoid demonizing the other and to remain open to relationship. When we are not sure about intent or about the content of what was said, we move to step 2, asking clarifying questions. It’s possible that we may discover malintent (in which case we might take steps to protect ourselves, while never forgetting the God-given dignity of the other person). On the other hand, what we hope for is dialogue and learning – which depends on the good will of both parties.

 

Sometimes we hear, “My intent was good so you shouldn’t be offended.” It is a misuse of the Presupposition to tell someone else how to feel. When offense if caused, we seek to understand through clarifying questions.

from the Holy Trinity/Georgetown University website 

 

Photo: The Fountain at St. John's Church

 

Prayer: Thomas More

Good Lord, give me the grace so to spend my life that when the day of my death shall come, though I feel pain in my body, I may feel comfort in soul and – with faithful hope of Your mercy, in due love towards You and charity towards the world – I may, through Your grace, depart hence into Your glory.

La Expansión del Reino: El Undécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024

                                                      La Expansión del Reino:

El Undécimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024

16 de junio de 2024

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Ezequiel 17:22-24; Salmo 92; 2 Corintios 5:6-10; Marcos 4:26-34

 

El pasaje de Ezequiel contiene las promesas de Dios para un orden social trastornado, muy parecido al Magnificat de María, en el que los orgullosos son humillados y los humildes son exaltados a un lugar de honor. El reino de Dios es diferente a la justicia y la razón humanas. Dios promete que Israel y toda la creación están bajo el cuidado vigilante de Dios. En el mundo de Dios, uno puede estar seguro de que Dios tiene la intención de hacer lo mejor incluso para los menos afortunados. Hay que tener paciencia en la promesa de evolución de Dios.

 

El Evangelio ofrece visiones del Reino en comparación con la semilla que brota y la semilla de mostaza. Los seres humanos no sabemos cómo se produce el crecimiento. Podemos seguir principios y leyes naturales, y podemos predecir lo que puede suceder, pero no conocemos las propiedades que gobiernan la transformación de la vida y el crecimiento que la acompaña. Podemos plantar 20 semillas en las condiciones adecuadas y no podemos determinar cuáles mueren y cuáles crecen. El misterio de cómo permanece dentro del alcance de Dios. Simplemente observamos y esperamos. Por mucho que podamos diseñar el entorno alrededor de una semilla plantada, no podemos regular su crecimiento.

 

¿Qué nos dicen estas historias sobre el reino de Dios? Está irrumpiendo a nuestro alrededor y está gobernado por las leyes y principios de Dios, y el misterio está más allá de nuestro conocimiento. Jesús quiere que nos demos cuenta de que la irrupción del reino está ocurriendo entre nosotros y que debemos notar las señales y prodigios. Ocurrirá sin intervención y control humanos y no hay nada que podamos hacer para detenerlo. Pertenece a Dios, no a la invención humana, y volverá a Dios.

 

La historia de la semilla de mostaza nos dice que el reino es más extenso de lo que anticipamos. Desde los comienzos más pequeños, florece hasta convertirse en algo que casi va más allá de nuestra imaginación. Debemos buscar la superabundancia de Dios tal como sucede a nuestro alrededor. Está destinado a nosotros y a la creación, y no hay nada que podamos hacer para detener su florecimiento y evolución ante nuestros propios ojos. No depende del ser humano y pertenece al majestuoso sueño de Dios para el cosmos.

 

Jesús nos implora que notemos la irrupción del reino en nuestras vidas. Debería disminuir gran parte del estrés que sentimos sobre cómo debería crecer el mundo. Es Dios quien hará florecer el árbol seco y levantará el árbol humilde. Es Dios quien baja los árboles altos y planta un retoño en lo más alto para que crezca. Simplemente tenemos que cooperar con el crecimiento de Dios y dejar que la gracia de Dios se desarrolle dentro de nosotros. Significa que debemos responder a invitaciones y empujones, que debemos decir sí a algo que podría ser liberador y estar fuera de nuestra zona de confort. Significa confiar en que la misericordia de Dios reinará y que al final todo estará bien. Debería darnos seguridad y consuelo de que todo en la vida no depende de nosotros, que no tenemos la ilusión de control que creemos tener, que Dios encontrará una manera, ya sea que cooperemos o resistamos. Debería hacernos despreocupados y alegres saber que Dios tiene la mejor intención para nosotros y para quienes nos rodean. Debería hacernos relajarnos y contemplar los misterios de Dios, y sentirnos satisfechos de que somos parte del mundo de Dios y de que Dios nos conoce. La vida se simplifica cuando honramos las acciones de Dios y nos conformamos con los planes de Dios para nosotros.         

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (1 Reyes 21 ) Nabot el jezreelita tenía una viña en Jezreel junto al palacio de Acab, rey de Samaria. Acab dijo a Nabot: “Dame tu viña para que sea mi huerto, ya que está cerca, al lado de mi casa. A cambio te daré una viña mejor o, si lo prefieres, te daré su valor en dinero”.

 

Martes: (1 Reyes 21 ) Después de la muerte de Nabot, el Señor dijo a Elías tisbita : "Empieza a encontrarte con Acab, rey de Israel, que gobierna en Samaria. Estará en la viña de Nabot, de la cual ha venido. para tomar posesión.

 

Miércoles: (2 Reyes 2 ) Cuando el Señor estaba a punto de llevar a Elías al cielo en un torbellino, él y Eliseo estaban de camino desde Gilgal. Elías dijo a Eliseo: “Por favor, quédate aquí; el Señor me ha enviado al Jordán”. “Vive Jehová y vives tú, que no te dejaré”, respondió Eliseo.

 

Jueves: (Eclesiástico 48 ) Como un fuego apareció el profeta Elías cuyas palabras eran como un horno en llamas. Les hizo añicos su pan, y en su celo los redujo a apuros; 
Por palabra del Señor cerró los cielos y tres veces hizo descender fuego.

 

Viernes (2 Reyes 11 ) Cuando Atalía, la madre de Ocozías, vio que su hijo había muerto, 
comenzó a matar a toda la familia real. Pero Jehosheba , hija del rey Joram y hermana de Ocozías, tomó a Joás , su hijo, y se lo llevó junto con su nodriza 
del dormitorio donde los príncipes estaban a punto de ser asesinados. Ella lo ocultó de Atalía, y así él no murió.

 

Sábado (2 Crónicas 24 ) Después de la muerte de Joiada, los príncipes de Judá vinieron y rindieron homenaje al rey Joás , y el rey entonces los escuchó. Abandonaron el templo de Jehová, Dios de sus padres, y comenzaron a servir a los postes sagrados y a los ídolos.

 

Evangelio:

Lunes: (Mateo 5) Habéis oído que fue dicho: Ojo por ojo y diente por diente. Pero yo os digo que no os resistáis al que es malo. Cuando alguien te golpee en la mejilla derecha, vuélvele también la otra.

 

Martes: ( Mateo 5 ) Habéis oído que fue dicho: Amarás a tu prójimo y odiarás a tu enemigo. Pero yo os digo: amad a vuestros enemigos y orad por los que os persiguen, para que seáis hijos de vuestro Padre celestial, que hace salir su sol sobre malos y buenos, y hace llover sobre justos y buenos. injusto.

 

Miércoles (Mateo 6 ) Cuidaos de no hacer obras de justicia para que la gente las vea; de lo contrario, no tendréis recompensa de vuestro Padre celestial. Cuando des limosna, no toques la trompeta delante de ti, como lo hacen los hipócritas en las sinagogas y en las calles para ganarse la alabanza de los demás.

 

Jueves (Mateo 6 ) Al orar, no balbuceéis como los paganos, que piensan que serán escuchados por sus muchas palabras. No seas como ellos. Tu Padre sabe lo que necesitas antes de que se lo pidas.

 

Viernes (Mateo 6) No acumuléis tesoros en la tierra, donde la polilla y la podredumbre destruyen, y ladrones minan y hurtan. Pero acumulad tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni la podredumbre destruyen, ni ladrones entran y hurtan.

 

Sábado (Mateo 6 ) Por eso os digo: No os preocupéis por vuestra vida, qué comeréis o beberéis, ni por vuestro cuerpo, qué vestiréis. ¿No es la vida más que el alimento y el cuerpo más que el vestido? Mira los pájaros en el cielo; No siembran ni cosechan, nada recogen en los graneros, pero vuestro Padre celestial los alimenta.

 

Santos de la semana

 

19 de junio: Romualdo, abad (950-1027), nació en una familia de duques de Rávena y se hizo conocido por fundar la orden benedictina camaldulense que combinaba la vida solitaria de los ermitaños con una vida comunitaria monástica. Fundó otras ermitas y monasterios por toda Italia.

 

21 de junio: Luis Gonzaga, SJ, sacerdote (1568-1591), renunció a una gran herencia para unirse a los jesuitas en 1585 en sus sueños de ir a las misiones. Sin embargo, cuando una plaga azotó Roma, Gonzaga atendió a los enfermos y moribundos en hospitales donde contrajo la peste y murió a los tres meses. Es un santo patrón de la juventud.

 

22 de junio: Paulino de Nola, obispo (353-431) fue un destacado abogado que se casó con un español y fue bautizado. Su hijo pequeño murió mientras estaba en España. Se hizo sacerdote y fue enviado a Nola, cerca de Nápoles, donde vivió una vida semimonástica y ayudó a los pobres y a los peregrinos.

 

22 de junio: John Fisher, obispo y mártir (1469-1535) enseñó teología en la Universidad de Cambridge y se convirtió en rector de la Universidad y obispo de Rochester. Fisher defendió a la reina contra Enrique VIII, que quería anular el matrimonio. Fisher se negó a firmar el Acta de Sucesión. Cuando el Papa nombró cardenal a Fisher, el rey enojado lo decapitó.

 

22 de junio: Tomás Moro, mártir (1478-1535), fue un talentoso abogado, miembro del Parlamento, erudito y funcionario público. Se mostró reacio a servir al cardenal Woolsey en la corte y renunció después de oponerse a la Ley de Sucesión del rey, que le permitiría divorciarse de su esposa. Fue encarcelado y finalmente decapitado.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 16 de junio de 1675. Santa Margarita María Alacoque recibió su gran revelación sobre la devoción al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.
• 17 de junio de 1900. Martirio en Wuyi, China, de los Beatos modesto Andlauer y Remy Asore , asesinados durante la Rebelión de los Bóxers.
• 18 de junio de 1804. P. John Roothan , futuro general de la Sociedad, dejó su Holanda natal a la edad de diecisiete años para unirse a la Sociedad en la Rusia Blanca.
• 19 de junio de 1558. P. Lainez , el Vicario General, convocó la apertura de la Primera Congregación General, casi dos años después de la muerte de Ignacio. Algunos problemas surgieron del hecho de que el P. Bobadilla se creía con derecho a participar en el gobierno. El Papa Pablo IV ordenó que se respetara estrictamente el Instituto de la Compañía.
• 20 de junio de 1626. Martirio en Nagasaki, Japón, de los beatos Francisco Pacheco, Juan Bautista Zola, Vicente Caun , Baltasar De Torres, Miguel Tozo , Gaspar Sadamatzu , Juan Kinsaco , Pablo Xinsuki y Pedro Rinscei .
• 21 de junio de 1591. Muerte de San Luis Gonzaga, que falleció a causa de la peste que contrajo mientras atendía a los enfermos.
• 22 de junio de 1611. Primera llegada de los padres jesuitas a Canadá, enviados allí a petición de Enrique IV de Francia.

The Expansiveness of the Kingdom: The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

The Expansiveness of the Kingdom:

The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 

June 16, 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

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Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34

 

Ezekiel’s passage contains God’s promises for an overturned social order, much like Mary’s Magnificat, in which the proud are brought low and the low are exalted to a place of honor. God’s kingdom is unlike human fairness and reason. God promises Israel and all creation is under God’s watchful care. In God’s world, one can be confident that God intends the best for even the least fortunate. One must be patient in God’s promise of evolution.

 

The Gospel offers views of the Kingdom by comparison with the seed that sprouts and the mustard seed. How growth happens, we humans do not know. We can follow principles and natural laws, and we can predict what may happen, but we do not know the properties that govern the transformation of life and the growth that accompanies it. We can plant 20 seeds in right conditions, and we cannot determine which ones die and which ones grow. The mystery of how remains within God’s purview. We simply watch and hope. As much as we can engineer the environment around a planted seed, we cannot regulate its growth. 

 

What do these stories tell us about God’s kingdom? It is breaking in around us and it is governed by God’s laws and principles, and the mystery is beyond our knowing. Jesus wants us to realize that the in-breaking of the kingdom is happening in our midst, and we are to notice the signs and wonders. It will happen without human intervention and control and there is nothing we can do to stop it. It belongs to God, and not to human invention, and it will return to God.

 

The mustard seed story tells us that the kingdom is more expansive than we anticipate. From the tiniest beginnings, it blossoms into something almost beyond our imagination. We are to look for the superabundance of God as it is happening around us. It is meant for us, and for creation, and there is nothing we can do to stop its blossoming and evolution before our very eyes. It is not human dependent, and it belongs to God’s majestic dream for the cosmos.

 

Jesus implores us to notice the in-breaking of the kingdom into our lives. It ought to diminish much of the stress we feel about how the world ought to grow. It is God who will make the withered tree bloom and lift up the lowly tree. It is God who brings low the high trees and plants a shoot on the highest point to grow. We simply have to cooperate with God’s growth and let God’s grace develop within us. It means we are to respond to invitations and nudges, that we are to say yes to something that might be freeing and out of our comfort zones. It means trusting that God’s mercy will reign and that all in the end, all will be well. It ought to give us assurance and comfort that everything in life does not depend upon us, that we do not have to illusion of control that we think we do, that God will find a way whether we cooperate or resist. It ought to make us carefree and joyful knowing that God intends the best for us and for those around us. It ought to make us relax and to behold God’s mysteries, and to be satisfied that we are part of God’s world, and that God knows us. It simplifies life when we honor God’s actions and conform with God’s plans for us.            

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (1 Kings 21) Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it is close by, next to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or, if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”

 

Tuesday: (1 Kings 21) After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: "Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession.

 

Wednesday: (2 Kings 2) When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here; the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.

 

Thursday: (Sirach 48) Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire.

 

Friday (2 Kings 11) When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead,
she began to kill off the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,
from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain. She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.

 

Saturday (2 Chronicles 24) After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash, and the king then listened to them. They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 5) You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 5) You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 6) Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.

 

Thursday (Matthew 6) In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

Friday (Matthew 6) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

 

Saturday (Matthew 6) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

 

Saints of the Week

 

June 19: Romuald, abbot (950-1027), was born into a family of dukes from Ravenna and became known for founding the Camaldolese Benedictine order that combined the solitary life of hermits into a monastic community life. He founded other hermitages and monasteries throughout Italy. 

 

June 21: Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J., priest (1568-1591), gave up a great inheritance to join the Jesuits in 1585 in his dreams of going to the missions. However, when a plague hit Rome, Gonzaga served the sick and dying in hospitals where he contracted the plague and died within three months. He is a patron saint of youth.

 

June 22: Paulinus of Nola, bishop (353-431) was a prominent lawyer who married a Spaniard and was baptized. Their infant son died while in Spain. He became a priest and was sent to Nola, near Naples, where he lived a semi-monastic life and helped the poor and pilgrims. 

 

June 22: John Fisher, bishop and martyr (1469-1535) taught theology at Cambridge University and became the University Chancellor and bishop of Rochester. Fisher defended the queen against Henry VIII who wanted the marriage annulled. Fisher refused to sign the Act of Succession. When the Pope made Fisher a cardinal, the angry king beheaded him. 

 

June 22: Thomas More, martyr (1478-1535) was a gifted lawyer, Member of Parliament, scholar, and public official. He was reluctant to serve Cardinal Woolsey at court and he resigned after he opposed the king’s Act of Succession, which would allow him to divorce his wife. He was imprisoned and eventually beheaded.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• June 16, 1675. St Margaret Mary Alacoque received her great revelation about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 
• June 17, 1900. The martyrdom at Wuyi, China, of Blesseds Modeste Andlauer and Remy Asore, slain during the Boxer Rebellion. 
• June 18, 1804. Fr. John Roothan, a future general of the Society, left his native Holland at the age of seventeen to join the Society in White Russia. 
• June 19, 1558. Fr. Lainez, the Vicar General, summoned the opening of the First General Congregation, nearly two years after the death of Ignatius. Some trouble arose from the fact that Fr. Bobadilla thought himself entitled to some share in the governance. Pope Paul IV ordered that the Institute of the Society should be strictly adhered to. 
• June 20, 1626. The martyrdom in Nagasaki, Japan, of Blesseds Francis Pacheco, John Baptist Zola, Vincent Caun, Balthasar De Torres, Michael Tozo, Gaspar Sadamatzu, John Kinsaco, Paul Xinsuki, and Peter Rinscei. 
• June 21, 1591. The death of St Aloysius Gonzaga, who died from the plague, which he caught while attending the sick. 
• June 22, 1611. The first arrival of the Jesuit fathers in Canada, sent there at the request of Henry IV of France.