Daily Readings September 5, 2012

Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 433

Reading from 1 Cor 3:1-9

Brothers and sisters,I could not talk to you as spiritual people,but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.

St. Paul tells the Corinthians that they are still novices in the faith of Christ.  He compares them to infants.

I fed you milk, not solid food,because you were unable to take it.

Accordingly, he spoke to them about matters that were easy to understand, because they could not mentally digest anything more substantial.

Indeed, you are still not able, even now,for you are still of the flesh.

But it didn't do any good, he says, because you have not grown in your faith.  You have not matured.

While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,are you not of the flesh, and walkingaccording to the manner of man?

The proof of your immaturity in the faith of Christ are these petty rivalries which you have amongst yourselves.

Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another,"I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?

When you say, I belong to Paul or I belong to Apollo, you are acting with immaturity.

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?Ministers through whom you became believers,just as the Lord assigned each one.

What is the difference between Paul and Apollo after all?  We are both messengers of the Lord through whom you came to believe.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.

I cultivated, Apollo irrigated but it is God who caused you to grow in faith.

Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,but only God, who causes the growth.

Therefore, it is God who is important.  Not the servants whom He sent and through whom He works.

He who plants and he who waters are one,and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.

Apollo and I are not different.  We are working together for one common cause.  And we will receive our wage in proportion to our labor.

For we are God's co-workers;you are God's field, God's building.

Because we cooperate with God and work with God to build up the Church, which you are.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21

Response. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

This Psalm speaks of the mystery of Predestination.  God first calls us.  And we each have the opportunity to respond in faith.  And if we do, we become His peculiar possession, a royal priesthood, which He cares for and nourishes as long as we obey His Command.

Gospel
Lk 4:38-44

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,and they interceded with him about her.He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.She got up immediately and waited on them.

What a simple little recollection.  But it hits home with me everytime I hear it.  Simon's mother-in-law is typical of the vast majority of mom's that I have ever known.  My mom, my grandma, my aunt's and my wife all fit the same mold.  They serve.  Folks, who will be the greatest in heaven?

Mark 10:44
King James Version (KJV)
⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseasesbrought them to him.He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.

The people of Galilee brought all their sick to Christ and he cured them.  This is a foreshadowing of us bringing our children and families to the Sacraments and Christ washing them of their sins.

And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God."But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speakbecause they knew that he was the Christ.

And Jesus also exorcised, that is, drove the demons out of people who were possessed by them.

Two things here.  The first is that Jesus would not allow the demons to reveal that He is the Christ.  I think that is because Jesus did not want His mission, to die on the Cross at the appointed time, to be interrupted.

The second thing is this.  People of this day and age seem to be mesmerized by movies about demons being chased out of people in dramatic fashion.  Movies like the Exorcist, Emily Rose and others, were written to satisfy this fascination.  What isn't commonly realized, however, is that Baptism is the most basic rite of Exorcism.  In fact, our entire Faith.  I mean, the entire Christian faith, is a form of Exorcism.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,they tried to prevent him from leaving them.But he said to them, "To the other towns alsoI must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,because for this purpose I have been sent."And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

And the next day, Jesus left town to continue His mission of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God thoughout Judea.  And He would not let anyone prevent Him.

Sincerely,

De Maria