Daily Scripture, June 21, 2021
Scripture:
Reflection:
Imagine you are 75 years-old and God tells you to pack up and begin a new life in the wilderness. Instead of cosmic beginning stories, Genesis, chapter 12 focuses on Abram (Abraham) and his family. Why should God choose this unknown Mesopotamian making him promises? Rabbinical scholars believe that Abram was the first monotheist, a believer in one God. What were the promises made to Abram: descendants, land, and blessings. (Working Preacher, Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9 by Katherine M. Schifferdecker) The moral of this story: being faithful to the One True God has its rewards. Today’s psalm confirms: “Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord”. (Psalm 33:1)
In our Gospel Jesus instructs : “Stop judging, that you may not be judged…Remove the beam from your eye and you will be able to see the splinter in your neighbor’s eye.” (Genesis 7: 1 and 5)
Rabbinical teaching laid down six great works which brought credit to a person: study, visiting the sick, hospitality, devotion in prayer, educating children in the Law and thinking the best of other people. Jesus and his audience was well aware of this teaching. (William Barclay, The Gospel of St. Matthew Revised Edition, Volume I, Daily Bible Study Series, Westminster Press, 1975, pp. 263-265)
Scripture Scholar, William Barclay, states there are three reasons why no person should judge another:
1) We never know the whole facts or the whole person.
2) It is almost impossible for any person to be strictly impartial in his or her
judgement. 3) No person is good enough to judge any other person. (Ibid. pp. 264-265)
The gospel challenge: improve our own faults and failings and leave the faults of others to God. This week, let us practice kind and loving thoughts toward others.
Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9Matthew 7:1-5 Reflection: Imagine you are 75 years-old and God tells you to pack up and begin a new life in the wilderness. Instead of cosmic beginning stories, Genesis, chapter 12 focuses on Abram (Abraham) and his family. Why should God choose this » Continue Reading.
Father’s Day Scripture: Job 38:1, 8-112 Corinthians 5:14-17Mark 4: 35-41 Reflection: Fathers Day honors the man in the family bearing resemblance to God the Father, ”from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named”. (Eph 3.15) This places dads in good company. Why? » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10Matthew 6:24-34 Reflection: Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” II Cor. 8 – 9 Today’s readings reminded » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30Matthew 6:19-23 Reflection: “…do not store up for yourselves…where your treasure is, there also will be your heart…the lamp of the body is the eye” Oh how ‘things’ can control our life! Things we ‘need’, things we ‘want’, things to ‘make » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:1-11Matthew 6:7-15 Reflection: In today’s gospel, Jesus offers a class on prayer. In this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples, the crowd that assembled that day, and now us what has aptly become known as “the Lord’s » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Reflection: In this portion of the gospel Matthew has dealt with ·some of the guiding principles for Christina spirituality and practice. Jesus is telling his disciple to be aware when you are practicing the acts of faith found in » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9Matthew 5:43-48 Reflection: “…I say to you…Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father…” These past few weeks we have been reading the famous Sermon on the Mount Discourse. We come » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10Matthew 5:38-42 Reflection: “As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.For he says: In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Ezekiel 17:22-242 Corinthians 5:6-10Mark 4:26-34 Reflection: My former Hebrew Scriptures professor used to say that there is nothing in the Old Testament that could not be found in the New Testament. This statement rings true for today’s Gospel from Mark. In just a few » Continue Reading.
Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21Luke 2:41-51 Reflection: Today as we celebrate the Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, we pause to reflect on Mary, the Mother of God and what place she has in our lives. In the » Continue Reading.