Daily Readings September 3, 2012

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the church


St. Gregory the Great, from whom we got the Gregorian Calendar and the Gregorian chant...Read more.

Lectionary: 431

Reading 1
1 Cor 2:1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,proclaiming the mystery of God,I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.

I didn't come to you with fancy words pretending to be wise.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with youexcept Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

All that I know is Jesus Christ and Him, crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,and my message and my proclamationwere not with persuasive words of wisdom,but with a demonstration of spirit and power,so that your faith might rest not on human wisdombut on the power of God.

And so I didn't rely upon my weak words to persuade you.  But upon the signs which God worked through me to demonstrate His power.


And powerful signs they were:

Acts 19:11-12
King James Version (KJV)
¹¹ And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:¹² So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102

Response. (97) Lord, I love your commands.

How I love your law, O LORD!
It is my meditation all the day.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Your command has made me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

I have more understanding than all my teachers
when your decrees are my meditation.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

I have more discernment than the elders,
because I observe your precepts.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

This Psalm teaches a lesson which permeates all of Scripture.  Righteousness is the key to salvation.  And we achieve this righteousness by keeping the Commandments of God.

Gospel
Lk 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,and went according to his custominto the synagogue on the sabbath day.He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

Jesus here describes the power of the Liturgy.  The power of the Sacraments.  The power which God makes present everytime we attend the Mass.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed meto bring glad tidings to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captivesand recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Jesus is reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah 61:1-2.

Rolling up the scroll,he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.He said to them,"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

And Jesus said to the Synagogue, "what I have just read, has come true in your hearing it."

In other words, Jesus revealed that He is the Messiah, the Saviour, which this Scripture prophecies will come into the world.

And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

And they were at first, amazed and pleased with His words.

They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?"He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb,'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native placethe things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"

But some questioned and infected the crowd saying, "Don't we know this guy?  How can He be the Messiah?"

And he said,"Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.Indeed, I tell you,there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijahwhen the sky was closed for three and a half yearsand a severe famine spread over the entire land.It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.Again, there were many lepers in Israelduring the time of Elisha the prophet;yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

And He responded, "God had to send Elijah to a foreign land in order for him to get respect.  God had to send Zarephath to foreign land in order for him to be safe.  And the only man who was cleansed by Elisha was a foreigner, Naaman, the Syrian."

When the people in the synagogue heard this,they were all filled with fury.They rose up, drove him out of the town,and led him to the brow of the hillon which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

When the people of Nazareth heard this, they were infuriated.  They understood plainly that Jesus said it was because of their fathers lack of faith that God had to send the Prophets to foreign lands.  And it is because of their lack of faith that Jesus had to leave that land as well.

And they tried to kill Him, but He passed through them, I imagine,  like a ghost and went away.

Sincerely,

De Maria