Tuesday July 16, 2024

15th Week in Ordinary Time

SEEING SIGNS. CONVERSION

Introduction

God had assured the house of David that he would protect it. We hear Isaiah scold the king and the people that they have not enough trust in him and do not see the signs of God’s nearness; even in the moment of a great threat by the powerful nation of Assyria they should keep relying on God.

The poor and the oppressed are often more open to salvation than the self-satisfied, sophisticated city dwellers; the latter are often in the Bible the image of rationalistic and corrupt people, also among the Jews. As they are more individualistic, they do not easily form a community of salvation. In the noise and bustle of a busy life, they do not see the signs of God’s presence.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we are often blind and insensitive
to the wonderful things you do among us
and to the love people show us.
Open our minds and hearts
to see the signs of your presence
in the good people do to one another and to us.
Make us also see the presence of our crucified Lord
in people who suffer.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: Isaiah 7:1-9

In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah,
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz,
you and your son Shear-jashub,
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,
on the highway of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”

Thus says the LORD:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.

But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!

Responsorial Psalm 48:2-3A, 3B-4, 5-6, 7-8

(see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold. 
R. God upholds his city for ever.
For lo! the kings assemble,
they come on together;
They also see, and at once are stunned,
terrified, routed.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Quaking seizes them there;
anguish, like a woman’s in labor,
As though a wind from the east
were shattering ships of Tarshish. 
R. God upholds his city for ever.

Alleluia PS 95:8

Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Intercessions

– For men and women who have lowly and depressing jobs, that we may appreciate them, we pray:

– For all who have been baptized in the saving waters of baptism, that they may remain faithful to their baptismal promises, we pray:

– For all those who see the good deeds done by believing people, that they may discover the Lord Jesus who inspires these good people, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
let this bread and wine we bring before you
become to us clear signs
of how you make yourself near to us
in Jesus Christ your Son.
Give us a deep faith to discover
the love you constantly show us in him
and to respond eagerly to it
with deeds of compassion and service
for all those who need us.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord God,
we deserve the harsh words
which Jesus spoke to us today
to prompt us to seek conversion.
Make us accept these words
spoken out of deep concern
for those he loves.
Give us an open attitude
that makes us see how you care for us
and how you are near to us in everyday life.
Help us to respond to your loving care
through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Repent. Perhaps we think that these words of the Lord do not apply to us. If we are open-minded, we will probably notice that there are many things in us that we wish to change. Perfection is not of this world. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Failures in Ministry

Of late, it has been saddening to hear of stories of suicide by priests. Several causal factors are pointed out. The scandal of sexual abuse has burdened the hearts of many honest priests; they find themselves viewed with mistrust due to the failures of some priests. Another reason is the growing secularism in the world, especially in highly economically developed nations, where the priests find their ministry having no visible impact. But they shouldn’t lose heart: Was Jesus successful in his ministry? Today’s gospel is proof that even the Son of God himself failed in touching the hearts of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum! He would even shed tears for Jerusalem  (Lk. 19:41-44). But what must inspire priests and religious is that these setbacks did not deter Christ from his Father-given mission. As St. Teresa of Kolkata has reminded us, “we are called not to be successful, but to be faithful.” In God’s time, the ministry will bear fruit.

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16 July 2024

Matthew 11:20-24

Repent!

Today, on July 16th, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In the early thirteenth century, the hermit brothers on Mount Carmel devoted a small chapel to St. Mary, affirming her as their Protector who will care for them, and whom they, in return, will serve. 

175 years ago today, in 1849, five diocesan priests in Spain came together under the guidance of Father Antony Mary Claret to establish a small community of preachers devoted to spreading the Gospel through their itinerant ministry. They named themselves the "Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary." Over the years, the community expanded both in membership and in the scope of its ministries. After the death of their founder, Father Claret, this religious congregation is also referred to as the Claretian Missionaries. Today, with over 3000 members, the Claretian Missionaries are active in over 70 countries across the globe. Let's take a moment to pray for the Claretian Missionaries, celebrating their 175th anniversary today.

Today, in the Gospel, we hear Jesus call on people to pay attention to God's message, change their behaviour and return to God. Jesus sounds frustrated over the time and energy he invested in them going to waste, much like the gardener gets frustrated when his fig tree fails to bear fruit - we read in Luke 13:6-9.

Jesus' words were intended to shock his listeners and encourage their conversion. As Matthew wrote his Gospel, he used the words of Jesus to encourage his community members to persevere in faith and discourage laxity or negligence.

The Gospel is a reminder of our responsibility to recognise and embrace opportunities for conversion, change and growth rather than holding on to a closed-minded and unrepentant attitude. The examples of cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are used to illustrate the consequences of refusing to repent.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us!

Repent! - Youtube