St. Matthias Men's Life Ministry

Saturday, June 24th, 2017, 7:00 AM
" In Deo Speramus "
(In God We Hope)
(Contact First Name)
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known."
Readings:
Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
God knows us better than we know ourselves,
 loves every freckle and fiber of us. 
God counts us worthy
 to spread the
 Word.

 Jesus,
   "No fear," 
you tell us.

  Be our nerve and our backbone. 
We stand up straight and proclaim your Word 
in a loud voice, to all the people, 
in all the places, times 
and events of 
our lives.


Amen
First Reading
Jeremiah said:
"I hear the whisperings of many:
'Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!'
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.'
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
for he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!"

The Word of the Lord
Discussion Questions
1. Suffering can lead to resentment, bitterness and anger. Who do you think enabled Jeremiah to endure his suffering but also get beyond all the negative emotions that came with it?
2.
How can trust help you handle a situation when you are surrounded by "terror on every side"? How can you build this trust? Should you wait for "terror" to arrive before you start trusting?

Second Reading
Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned-
for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin
after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,
who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression.
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.

The Word of the Lord
Discussion Questions
1.
Paul tells us in the Second Reading that "the gift is not like the transgression." According to Pope Francis, does God's mercy wipe out or destroy sin and go far beyond the forgiveness that we need?

After the sin of Adam and Eve, God did not wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil. And so he turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love (cf.  Eph 1:4 ), choosing her to be the Mother of man's Redeemer. When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy. Mercy will always be greater than any sin, and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive.

Pope Francis:   Declaration of the Jubilee of Mercy , paragraph 3,  April 11, 2015
2.
Discuss the fact that proclaiming the gospel brings some suffering with it. If you let your sufferings be absorbed into Christ do you think they also acquire saving significance for the community or for those you love?
Alleluia, alleluia.
 JN 15:26B, 27A
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;
and you also will testify.

Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."

The Gospel of the Lord
Discussion Questions
1.
 If Christ says to "speak in the light" that which he has said in darkness, is that speaking meant to dispel the darkness? What statements in this reading show that Jesus wants to establish a dynamic reality? Can you "proclaim"the Good News today "from the housetops"? What does that mean?
2.
  Why is there risk involved in proclaiming the Word? How many times does Jesus tell you not to fear in this reading? What does he say about the hairs on your head that reinforce the "no fear" concept?

 For what are we born if not to aid one another?

Ernest Hemingway

 

 

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace."

By: Jimi Hendrix

 

"My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."

Abraham Lincoln

 

 

If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.

1 John 4:12
 

 

Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus

God became human so that humans might become God

(Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron)

 

"The Glory of God is a human being fully alive."

Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19).  Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639).  Harper Collins, Inc..  Kindle Edition.

 

God "dwells in us." 
God's love is not meant for us alone;  
we must give it away.

 

 

Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.

 

Give God Away Today!
Help us then, Lord,  
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,  
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.  
You promise us much for this life  
and for our eternal presence with You;  
may we live into that promise  
each day.

 

 

An interesting thought:

The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.