Thursday's Mass readings
Reading 1 - Jer 17:5-10
Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.
Responsorial Psalm - Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 - Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Gospel - Lk 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’”
6 Comments:
This is a tough one. It's far easier to trust human beings because you can see and touch them and they respond. God is elusive -too much so for me. I never know if He is listening, much less what He is saying in response. I think my experience is the norm and not the exception.
Why not consider this: In that we are all made in His image and likeness, you are in fact closer to God than you may realize. If your friends are listening and responding, God is
listening and responding. If your friends are offering words of advice and encouragement, and lending their support, that is God working through them in your life. When you "see and touch" those human beings, you are looking at the face of God and touching Him.
See, I have the oppisite issue, It is easier for me to trust God and Christ then it is for me to trust other people... few are afforded my trust, (my best friend Christine, my godmother Rose, Fr. Greg) because its been people who have let me down and I have let them down, where as no matter how many times I have let God down HE is always around for me to turn to no matter what. Heck even now I sometimes struggle with what I talk to Fr. Greg about . . . but that is my insecurities comming through.
Think of the trust of a very young child for her mother. The child's trust is absolute and unconditional; there's no "if she doesn't get a flat tire," or "unless the stores are already closed," or "although she might be in a bad mood," and certainly no "as long as I'm still lovable."
Now think of the trust you have for the person you trust the most in the whole wide world. How does your trust compare to the trust of the young child?
Maybe it is easy to trust human beings because we've learned to settle for a very pale imitation of trust when it comes to other humans.
What Fran said is truly beautiful
If a baby dies at 6 weeks of age and she was not baptized does the baby have a shot of going to heaven or does she end up in limbo?
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