MORNING OFFERING

Audio Reflections of Monday, July 10, 2017

To hear the Audio Reflections of Monday, July 10, 2017 click HERE

Monday, July 10, 2017 - On a scale of 1 to 10 where would you mark your faith? Why?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 28:10-22; Mt 9:18-26

In the text of today, which Matthew has taken from Mark, the sandwich construction is maintained. This means that the first incident is interrupted by the narration of another incident complete in itself, and after this the first incident is resumed and completed. The story that is inserted into the story of raising the ruler’s daughter is the story of the healing of a woman with a haemorrhage. While Mark gives us the name of the leader of the synagogue, Jairus (Mk 5:22), Matthew omits his name. Matthew also omits a number of Marcan details namely Jesus’ question about who touched him and the disciples response, the fear of the woman about being found out and her falling down before Jesus. In Matthew it is very clear that the woman is healed not by a magic touch but by faith. While in Mark, the messengers come to inform Jairus about his daughter’s death, this whole scene is absent in Matthew, because in Matthew, the girl is already dead when the ruler comes to him. This has the effect of the ruler professing resurrection faith in his entreaty.

In Matthew, the story becomes a confessional statement of faith in the power of the resurrected Jesus.

In the first few days or even weeks of a terminal illness, the person who is ill continues to hope that he/she will get well. As time goes by and the healing does not occur, soon hope begins to dim. Finally the person gives up and gives in. The woman’s attitude in the story of today is calling each of us to perseverance, hope and faith and to develop an attitude of never giving up. That we must cultivate such an attitude is made clearer when we realise that Jesus could raise even those whom others gave up for dead.

Audio Reflections of Sunday, July 9, 2017

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MORNING OFFERING

Sunday, July 9, 2017 - His yoke is easy

To read the texts click on the texts: Zech. 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30

One day a man saw a small boy carrying a still smaller boy on his back. The smaller boy was lame. As they passed by, the man commented to the small boy, “That’s a heavy burden for you to carry/” The small boy answered, “He’s no burden, Mister. He’s my little brother.” The yoke of Jesus is not a burden, it is kind (easy) and light.

To understand fully the Gospel text of today, two points must be kept in mind. The first is that it is placed by Matthew after three “negative” passes which begin at 11:2. These are the response of Jesus to the disciples of John the Baptist to their question whether Jesus was the Messiah, the exasperation with the crowd who do not recognize John nor Jesus, and the denunciation of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Indeed, this entire section of Matthew’s Gospel seems to deal with people’s disappointment over the ”failure” of Jesus to measure up to their expectations in terms of what a “Messiah” would look like or act like.

The second point is that this text is clearly a Matthean composition and is made of three elements. The first two of these are found in Luke but in different contexts and the third is exclusive to Matthew, In Matthew the audience is clearly the crowds and so the words of Jesus here are meant for all. So the passage seeks to state that despite so much of doubt and negativity, that despite so much of blindness and closed attitudes, this is not the last word. Despite the fact that Jesus’ message has been questioned by John the Baptist, rejected by many and especially the wise and understanding and not heeded by the cities, yet his invitation and message will find acceptance by others who are open and receptive. Often ‘the wise’ tend to become proud and self-sufficient in their ‘wisdom’ and refuse to receive what is new and unexpected. This is because they have already made up their minds about what kind of Messiah is to come, The person of Jesus and the nature of the fulfillment he brings cannot be understood, if he is restricted to preconceived categories and human conceptual frameworks, On the other hand, the childlike are most often open, dependent, and receptive. They are willing to let God work in their lives. They have not decided in advance how God must act and are willing to let God be God. Therefore they are able to believe and so to rejoice.

This note of joy brought by faith already sounds in the words of Zechariah, in the first reading. ‘Rejoice, daughter of Zion! Shout with gladness’, Zechariah cries out, ‘Rejoice, because the messiah-king is coming – doing away with the ‘horses’ and other things of war.’ He will ride on a donkey, but strong and triumphant, as he brings a peace that embraces the whole world. Despite the overwhelming significance of his person, the relationship he shares with the Father and the fact that the total mission was given him by the Father, Jesus comes meekly and humbly as a servant, like the messiah-king about whom Zechariah prophesied.

Jesus invites all to come to him, to enter into a relationship with him, and to follow him in discipleship. It is his yoke to which he calls; it is he who gives rest. The fact that Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light must not be misunderstood to mean that the discipleship and righteousness to which Jesus are easy and undemanding. Discipleship demands nothing less than life-commitment and a total denial of self. This is what Paul means when he tells the Romans that they must not live unspiritual lives, but show that they belong to Christ and are his disciples by choosing the spiritual over the unspiritual.

Because Jesus brings the new era of grace and salvation through his intimate relationship with his Father, he is both qualified and able to reveal him as unconditional love and mercy. While “yoke” signifies obedience, it could also, if misunderstood, become a burden that is too heavy to carry. In Jesus’ understanding, the experience of serving God is not a burden and does not cause fatigue.

On the contrary, since the yoke is easy and the burden is light, it leads only to joy. Thus, his yoke is not just a yoke from him but also a yoke with him. To take the yoke of Christ is to associate and identify ourselves with him: our destiny with his destiny, our vision with his vision and our mission with his mission. It is to know that we are not pulling the yoke alone and by our own power but together with Christ and by the strength that comes from him. It is to know that with him and in him the yoke is easy and the burden light.

Audio reflections of Saturday, July 8, 2017

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Saturday, July 8, 2017 - How often have you made rules and regulations ends in themselves? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 27:1-5,15-29; Mt 9:14-17

The question about fasting is raised here by the disciples of John the Baptist. Jesus’ first response is that the wedding guests do not fast during the wedding. In other words the time of Jesus is considered as a time of celebration, it is the time of the presence of the Kingdom of God. 

The second and third responses are about the new cloth and old garment and about new wine in old wine skins. The point here seems to be that both have their place in appropriate settings and must not be mixed up. Fasting does have a place in spirituality, but must not be made an end it itself.

It is possible that even our good actions might take a hold of us and so become ends in themselves. There is only one end: God and all else that we do even if it is good can never be an end. We must use them as means to reach God. This means that if something helps me, I use it, if it hinders me I give it up. 

Audio Reflections of Friday, July 7, 2017

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Friday, July 7, 2017 - Is your “usual” way of looking a “negative or pessimistic” way? Will you look at persons, things and events positively today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 23:1-4,19; 24:1--8,62-67; Mt 9:9-13

The text of today contains the call of Matthew, and Jesus’ fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. It is only in the Gospel of Matthew that the tax collector is called Matthew. In Mark and Luke he is called Levi. However, in the lists of the Twelve in both Mark and Luke, the disciple is named Matthew and Levi does not appear. It is unlikely that Matthew and Levi refer to the same person. It was rare for Jews to have two different Jewish names. The reason for the author choosing the name Matthew remains unknown. However, in the text what strikes one is that whereas most people who passed by the tax office would see a corrupt official, Jesus was able to see a potential disciple. It was Jesus’ way of looking that led to the transformation and the response of Matthew to the call. 

In his response to the objection of the Pharisees, Jesus responds with a common proverb about only the sick needing a doctor, and also quotes from Hosea 6:6, which here is interpreted to mean that the mercy of God in Jesus is extended to all humanity and takes precedence over everything else. All else must be understood in this light.

There are times when we judge people too easily and many of these times our judgement of them is negative. This is also how we often look at the whole of creation and because we put labels on things, people and all else in creation, we may miss out on the uniqueness that each possesses.