Thoughts on Today’s Scripture Readings
Ex 34:4-6,8-9 Dan 3:52-56 2 Cor 13:11-13 Jn 3:16-18
Seeing the Israelites dancing round the golden calf, Moses was angry and had thrown down and broken the tablets on which the Lord had written his covenant. The agreement with God was literally broken! Now the Lord, a God of compassion, tells Moses to prepare two more tablets. After “passing before” Moses, the Lord declares that He is “a God merciful, … forgiving iniquity”. Moses asks the Lord to forgive his people, and the Lord re-affirms his covenant and again writes the Commandments on stone tablets.
Today’s psalm comes from the hymn of thanks in the story of Daniel, set in the 6th century BC but probably written about 165 BC. Daniel’s three companions refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and so were thrown into a furnace so hot their guards were killed. But God protected the three men, who walked about inside the furnace with their clothes intact but their rope bindings burned off.
After Paul’s stern instructions to his beloved Corinthians, his second letter ends with this fond farewell, including the Trinitarian grace used widely by Christians.
At the beginning of John’s Gospel, after the wedding at Cana and the cleansing of the Temple, Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be “born again”. Nicodemus cannot understand this, but Jesus insists that those who refuse to believe and trust in Jesus condemn themselves.
Tea and Coffee – After Mass in the meeting room across garden – please join us.
FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
THE MACHINE AND MAMIE´S ARTHRITIS
The true story is told of a woman named Mamie who made frequent trips to the branch post office. One day she confronted a long line of people who were waiting for service from the postal clerk. Mamie only needed stamps, So a helpful observer asked her, “Why don’t you just use the stamp machine? You can get all the stamps you need and you wouldn’t have to wait in line”.
Mamie said,
«I know , but the machine can’t ask me about my arthritis».
Life is about relationships. The Catholic Church is not mainly about Catholic rituals, Catholic processions, Catholic Holy water.
The Catholic Church is about intimacy, helping each other, touching each other, caring for each other.
I learned long time ago that the oposite of love is not hatred. The oposite of love is indifference.
A few days ago I took part in a workshop conducted by a capitain of an airline company. It was about safety. I was impressed with a word he used to express indifference or not helping a person in need. He called it «agressiveness». It was a new and fascinating word for me. If I see somebody in need and I do nothing to help I am beeing «agressive»
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