October 11, 2012

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 464

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians

Gal 3:1-5

>>>We are still in Galatians and St. Paul is chastising them.

O stupid Galatians!

>>>That doesn't need a whole lot of explaining.

Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

>>>He says, who has confused you?  Don't you know that Jesus was crucified for you?

I want to learn only this from you:
did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,
or from faith in what you heard?

>>>He wants to know, did you receive the Spirit by what you did or by faith in what you learned from me?

Ok, what is he talking about?  This is a Sacramental Teaching.
1.  Where do we receive the fullness of the Spirit?  In Baptism.
2.  Is Baptism a work of the Law?  No.  It is a work of God.
3.  What disposition must we have in order to receive Baptism?  We must believe in Jesus Christ.  We must have faith in Jesus Christ.

Mark 16:16
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

4.  How do we obtain this faith?  It is learned from our parents or from the Church.

Romans 10:14
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Are you so stupid?

>>>St. Paul was really blunt.

After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?

>>>I'm not certain but I think he is referring to circumcision.  Circumcision did not impart the Holy Spirit as does Baptism.  Circumcision is, of course, a cutting of the flesh.

Did you experience so many things in vain?--
if indeed it was in vain.

>>>Even though these folks were baptized and thus received the Spirit, he wonders whether they will be saved in the end.

Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you
and works mighty deeds among you
do so from works of the law
or from faith in what you heard?

>>>I think he is referring to himself.  He is the one who preached to them.  He worked mighty signs in their presence.  And he has great faith in Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R. (68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

This psalm is not one of the Psalms.  It is actually part of the Gospel of St. Luke and is a very famous canticle and prayer.  The Benedictus, the prayer of St. Zechariah, the husband of St. Elizabeth and the father of St. John the Baptist.  

A reading from the Holy Gospel of St. Luke

Lk 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:

>>>Jesus taught His disciples a lesson about prayer.

"Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'

>>>What if you had some unexpected visitors and had nothing to offer them.  So you went to your neighbor at midnight and asked for provisions to feed them.

and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'

>>>And he says, HEY!  Its midnight, we're trying to sleep!

I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

>>>Jesus said, if he doesn't get up because he loves you.  He'll get up and give you whatever you want, just to get rid of you because of your persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.

>>>And so, ask anything of the Father.  And He will open the door to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

>>>For all who ask received.

What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?

>>>Would you hand your son a serpent when he asks for a fish to eat?

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

>>>Or a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?"

>>>If you know how to take care of your children, how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to all who pray?

This doesn't mean that we will receive all we ask for.  Because sometimes we ask for things that are bad for our soul.  St. James explains:

James 4:3
King James Version (KJV)
³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Sincerely,

De Maria