MEDITATIONS ON HOPE FOR TODAY ( AUG. 11)

Start:

Aug 11, '11

Beloved, you are a vast being with many
levels of awareness.
For this reason, it is possible to long for something
with the conscious mind, while desiring something
different at the level of the soul.

When this happens, what you wish for may
not take place.
This is because a higher part of you is directing
the flow toward a greater good.


MEDITATIONS ON HOPE
and Transformation

The Word: Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 Monday, August 8, 2011
St. Dominic, priest, founder of the Order of Preachers






Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

1st. Reading: Numbers 12:1-13
2nd. Reading: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13


Gospel

 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

(Matthew 14:22-36)



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

In today's First Reading, Moses asks the Israelites, "What does the LORD, your God, ask of you?" It is a question not just for the House of Israel, but for us, too.

Without knowing exactly the answer Moses proffered, what answer would YOU give?

It might be an expansive answer like, "Love God and love my neighbor," or something more specific like, "Put down the laptop and do the laundry."

It isn't hard to uncover ways to love our neighbor. But what about loving God? How do we do that?

What can we give to God, the unimaginable, all-powerful One who created and "owns" all things?

Doesn't He already have and exercise dominion over everything?

There is only one thing that God does not own, unless we give it to Him. It is our love, our heart, our will. Knowing that, will we withhold our love from God, He Who has already given us everything that He has, including His Heart, His Love, His Will?










Donna Raye Nelson, OCDS
The Catholic Calendar
and Daily Meditation
 



Bkg. Courtesy Of
Christian Backgrounds

Sonntags-Evangelium nach Matthäus- u. Kommentar 07.08.11

Evangelium nach Matthäus 14,22-33.

Gleich darauf forderte er die Jünger auf, ins Boot zu steigen und an das andere Ufer vorauszufahren. Inzwischen wollte er die Leute nach Hause schicken.
Nachdem er sie weggeschickt hatte, stieg er auf einen Berg, um in der Einsamkeit zu beten. Spät am Abend war er immer noch allein auf dem Berg.
Das Boot aber war schon viele Stadien vom Land entfernt und wurde von den Wellen hin und her geworfen; denn sie hatten Gegenwind.
In der vierten Nachtwache kam Jesus zu ihnen; er ging auf dem See.
Als ihn die Jünger über den See kommen sahen, erschraken sie, weil sie meinten, es sei ein Gespenst, und sie schrien vor Angst.
Doch Jesus begann mit ihnen zu reden und sagte: Habt Vertrauen, ich bin es; fürchtet euch nicht!
Darauf erwiderte ihm Petrus: Herr, wenn du es bist, so befiehl, daß ich auf dem Wasser zu dir komme.
Jesus sagte: Komm! Da stieg Petrus aus dem Boot und ging über das Wasser auf Jesus zu.
Als er aber sah, wie heftig der Wind war, bekam er Angst und begann unterzugehen. Er schrie: Herr, rette mich!
Jesus streckte sofort die Hand aus, ergriff ihn und sagte zu ihm: Du Kleingläubiger, warum hast du gezweifelt?
Und als sie ins Boot gestiegen waren, legte sich der Wind.
Die Jünger im Boot aber fielen vor Jesus nieder und sagten: Wahrhaftig, du bist Gottes Sohn.

Auszug aus der liturgischen Übersetzung der Bibel 

Kommentar zum heutigen Evangelium 

Hl. Johannes Chrysostomos (ca. 345-407), Priester in Antiochia und später Bischof von Konstantinopel, Kirchenlehrer 

Homilien zum Matthäusevangelium, Nr. 50, 1-2 

«O du Kleingläubiger, warum hast du gezweifelt?»

Die Jünger sind wieder Spielzeug der Wellen und ein weiterer Sturm, dem ersten gleich (Mt 8,24), bricht los. Damals hatten sie jedoch Jesus bei sich im Boot, während sie diesmal allein und sich selber überlassen sind... Ich glaube, dass der Retter auf diese Weise ihre Herzen wieder beleben wollte, die schläfrig geworden waren. Er versetzte sie in Todesangst, verstärkte in ihnen das Verlangen nach seiner Anwesenheit und bewirkte, dass sie ständig an ihn dachten. Deshalb kam er ihnen auch nicht sofort zu Hilfe, sondern „kam in der vierten Nachtwache zu ihnen; er ging auf dem See“...

Petrus, der immer temperamentvoll und den anderen Jüngern immer einen Schritt voraus war, sagte zu ihm: „Herr, wenn du es bist, so befiehl, dass ich auf dem Wasser zu dir komme“... Er sagte nicht zu ihm: „Befiel, dass ich auf dem Wasser gehen soll“, sondern: „dass ich zu dir kommen soll“; denn keiner liebte Jesus so wie er. Nach der Auferstehung Jesu tat er dasselbe: er konnte es nicht ertragen, nicht schneller als die anderen zu sein: So sprang er in das Wasser, um ihnen zuvor zu kommen und seiner Liebe zu Christus zu genügen... Petrus stieg also aus dem Kahn und ging auf Jesus zu, glücklicher darüber, ihm näher zu kommen als darüber, auf dem Wasser gehen zu können. Als er aber mit der größten Gefahr, nämlich der, die von dem Wasser ausging, fertig geworden war, fiel er einer weniger großen Gefahr, nämlich der, die ihm vom Sturm drohte, beinahe zum Opfer. So ist die menschliche Natur: wir überstehen ernste Gefahren und erliegen dann kleineren Gefahren... Petrus war noch nicht frei von jeglicher Angst, obwohl Christus in seiner Nähe war. Es nützt also nichts, Christus neben sich zu haben, wenn man ihm nicht durch den Glauben nahe ist. Das machte deutlich, welche Distanz zwischen dem Meister und dem Jünger bestand...

„O du Kleingläubiger, warum zweifelst du? Wenn sein Glaube nicht schwächer geworden wäre, hätte Petrus den Wind leicht aushalten können. Und der Beweis dafür: Jesus greift nach Petrus und lässt den Wind weiter wehen... Christus verfährt mit Petrus wir eine Vogelmutter mit ihrem Jungen, das sich vorzeitig daran gemacht hat, das Nest zu verlassen und nun herauszufallen droht: sie hält es mit ihren Flügeln fest und bringt es ins Nest zurück.

The Word: Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday

August 3, 2011

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm 99:5, 6, 7, 9
Matthew 13:44-46

 

 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

(Matthew 13:44-46A)

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

It's gratifying to hear stories of parental sacrifice for children. We become horrified when the opposite is true. Jesus knew the depth of love the Canaanite woman had for her daughter as she persevered in requesting help from Jesus.

In an era when we expect "instant" everything, with drive-thru's for food and banking, with text messages and more, we have fewer occasions in life to be patient and to persevere in our prayer life. Jesus challenged the faith of the Canaanite woman and He rewarded her by healing her daughter.

We realize that Jesus knows our needs even before we recognize them ourselves. He waits for us to turn toward Him always, not just because of our needs, but because it is the relationship that is of primary importance. He does not force Himself on any of us.

Let us not miss the opportunities life provides to turn to Him as His heart is open to us around the clock. What a friend!

The Catholic Calendar
and Daily Meditation

Bkg. Courtesy of Aalie

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Start:

Aug 1, '11

St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church


Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Numbers 11:4b-15
Psalm 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

Matthew 14:22-36


22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Again Holy Scripture reminds us of something very important, namely to stop complaining and be grateful.

Being grateful doesn't mean we pretend that things are perfect but recognize that they could always be much worse and are happy they're not.

The Israelites quickly forgot that they had been delivered from Pharaoh and that the Lord had worked great wonders in their midst. All they could think of was their bellies and how much they longed for food that would please them. They were as Thoreau said,"Determined to be starved before they were hungry."

God sent them manna from heaven, and like ungrateful children, they turned up their noses wanting something better.

Are we like that, always complaining about everything, or are we mindful of the great wonders the Lord has worked for us?

If we are not, we risk falling into a serious state - forgetful of God's goodness and lacking thankfulness for it.



The Catholic Calendar
and Daily Meditation