Thursday, October 8, 2015

If wicked parents give good gifts to their children, how much more will the Father to the persistent in prayers?


October 8, 2015
Thursday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time 

Saint of the day : St. Demetrius, Martyr (306) 

Readings


13You have defied Me in word, says the LORD, yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?"

14You have said, "It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping His command, And going about in penitential dress in awe of the LORD of hosts? 
15Rather must we call the proud blessed; for indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity."

16Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened attentively; And a record book was written before Him of those who fear the LORD and trust in His name.

17And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the day I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.

18Then you will again see the distinction between the just and the wicked; Between him who serves God, and him who does not serve Him.

19For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts.

20But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.


1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way* of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers.a

2Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy; and on His law he meditates day and night.b

3He is like a treeplanted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.

4But not so are the wicked,* not so! They are like chaff driven by the wind.
6Because the LORD knows the way of the just,but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. 


5And He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' 7and 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.'

8I 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.

9"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 
12Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13If 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?"


Notes on Readings:

A). Malachi 3:1 - My messenger . . . before me: in Malachi 3:23  this messenger is identified as Elijah while in Matthew 11:10 these words are cited by Jesus as referring to John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah; compare with Matthew 3:1-3; 11-12; 17:11-13; Mark 1;2-8; Luke 3:2-18; John 1:31-34. 

B). Malachi 3:6-7 - God is faithful to His promises, who will not forsake the Israelites, His people.  

C). Malachi 3:10 - Storehouse: the temple treasury. 

D). Malachi 3:16 - Record book: see footnote on Exodus 32:32.

E). Luke 11:1-13 - Luke presents three episodes with regard to prayer. The first  (Luke 11:1-4) narrates Jesus teaching His disciples the Christian communal prayer, the "Our Father"; the second (Luke 11:5-8), the significance of perseverance in prayer; the third (Luke 11:9-13), the efficacy of prayer. 

F). Luke 11:1-4 - The Matthean form of the "Our Father" takes place in the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 6:9-15); the shorter Lucan version is introduced while Jesus is at prayer (see the footnote on Luke 3:21) and His disciples ask Him to teach them to pray just as John taught his disciples to pray. In reply to their question, Jesus presents them with an example of a Christian communal prayer that highlights the fatherhood of God and recognizes Him as the One to whom the Christian disciple owes daily provisions (Luke 11:3), forgiveness (Luke 11:4), and liberation from the final test (Luke 11:4). See also the footnotes on Matthew 6:9-13.

G). Luke 11:2 - Your kingdom come: in place of this petition, some early church Fathers account: "May your holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us," a pleading that may reflect the use of the "Our Father" in a baptismal liturgy. 

H). Luke 11:3-4 - Daily bread: see the footnote on Matthew 6:11The final test: see the footnote on Matthew 6:13.

I). Luke 11:13 -  The Holy Spirit: this is a Lucan editorial modification of  Jesus’ customary saying  (see Matthew 7:11). Luke presents the gift of the Holy Spirit as Father’s response to the prayer of the Christian disciple.




Reference:  The New American Bible 

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.