POPULARITY
Homily from the Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, A.D. MMXXV.
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading I: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Reading II: Hebrews 12:1-4 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53 Support CTK at LSU: www.ctklsu.org/give
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time | 08.17.2025 | Fr.Brian by Lourdes Denver
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Hezekias and Annie explore Jeremiah's suffering in the muddy pit, Jesus' teaching on division and his baptism of fire (Luke 12), and the call to endure trials while keeping eyes fixed on Christ from Hebrews 12.
Jesus gives us peace, but we shouldn't expect it in the world.
"I have come to set the earth on fire..."
Read Online“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51–53Jesus introduces this passage by saying, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” The “fire” of which He speaks is His purifying fire of mercy that He poured forth from the Cross as He offered His life for the salvation of the world. His mercy is given to free us from our sins and to cleanse our souls so that God Himself can come to dwell within us. This is why we exist. God wants to dwell within us, and He wants us to be in perfect union with Him.One of the glorious effects of uniting yourself to God is that this union also brings about a spiritual bond with others who are united to God. We are made for communion with God, but also for communion with each other. God especially invites family members to share in this unity. Though there are many levels of friendship and unity we can have with each other, the deepest bonds come from two souls each being united to God. For example, two people may both like the same sports team or have the same interests, resulting in a bond or form of friendship. This is good. But when each of those friends also is deeply united to God, the unity comes from God and not from something more superficial.The challenging Gospel passage above reveals to us what happens when one or more members of a household fail to open themselves to the cleansing fire of God's love and, therefore, fail to live in union with God. The result is disunity, at least on the deepest and truest level. God is not the cause of disunity; sin is. When one person is united to God and another is immersed in a life of sin, true spiritual unity is not possible. Of course the two might still share some common interests and might even superficially get along each day, but there will never be an experience of authentic spiritual friendship and communion if God is absent from one or both hearts.When Jesus says that He has come to establish division within a household, He is simply pointing out that there will indeed be a division within a household when all are not united to God. Additionally, Jesus is warning us that if someone within our household tries to draw us into a life of sin with them, that person's invitation must be rejected. And when that happens, that rejection is often experienced as a rejection of the person and results in even greater disunity. The bottom line is that it is not possible to be authentically united in sin or any form of lie. Reflect, today, upon the deepest spiritual desire you have. If you are honest with yourself, you will discover that this deepest desire in your heart is the desire for love. We are made to give and receive love. First, this desire is fulfilled by opening ourselves to the love of God. When that happens, we will be able to share God's love with others and receive God's love from them. Nothing in life could be more fulfilling than this. Most merciful Lord, You came to unite all people in Your love, but when Your love is rejected we live in disunity. Please come to me and dwell more fully within me so that Your presence in my life will not only bring about a spiritual communion with You, but also with those who share this same love. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via UnsplashSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
For the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. reflects on living our life of faith with zeal. Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources. Listen to Fr. Frank's more of weekly reflections and recent blogcasts.
For the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. reflects on living our life of faith with zeal. Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources. Listen to Fr. Frank's more of weekly reflections and recent blogcasts.
It's the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Join Dr. Scott Powell and Kate Olivera as they explore the context for the book of Jeremiah, and talk about why exactly Jesus comes "to set the earth on fire."This episode of Sunday School was brought to you by the St. Paul Center.Priests, grow your love for Christ and for your ministry through study, faith and fellowship at a St. Paul Center Priest Conference.To learn more, visit stpaulcenter.com/priests-Already read the readings? Skip ahead to 18:00Reading 1 - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10Psalm 40: 2-4, 18Reading 2 - Hebrews 12:1-4Gospel - Luke 12:49-53To learn more about the social and political context around the time of Jesus, Scott recommends Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright.To learn more about the mindset of Jews in the time of Jesus, Scott recommends the Oxford Annotated Mishnah, The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg, and Eerdman's Dictionary of Early Judaism. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe
Get all set for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time with Fr. James BrockmeierSummaryIn this episode, the hosts discuss the challenges of living a Christian life, particularly in the context of scripture readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. They explore themes of endurance in faith, the reality of division that can arise from living out Christian morality, and the importance of love and reconciliation amidst these challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of discernment in understanding God's will during difficult times, as well as lighthearted discussions about worship and musical preferences.TakeawaysSometimes God sends you a rope instead of wings.Run the race of faith like you mean it.The Lord is with those who find themselves in divided families.Living a life of Christian morality is hard.We are called to love our mothers-in-law.This is going to be tough.The Christian life is both attractive and repellent.We can love a person and disagree with them.It's hard to try to do what we say.I want to be friends with them.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts02:38 Scripture Readings and Reflections06:34 Understanding the Burden of Faith12:31 Navigating Family Divisions in Faith18:55 The Challenge of Living Christian Morality22:53 The Role of Love in Division23:46 Lighthearted Discussion on Worship and Instruments
A Bible study on Luke 12:49-53, the Gospel reading for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C.
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | 8.13.2025 | Dcn. Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Do you have a favorite saint that you look up to as a role model? Melissa and Veronica analyze why the saints are so great and answer the question of who is the ideal person to imitate. For Sunday's Mass Reading: ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings/2022-08-14
Sermon from 10/6/2024 by Rev Cameron Nations .... Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 (Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost) Please visit saintrichards.org for more information about service times and other ways to connect with us.
The Word On The Word – Twentieth Sunday In Ordinary Time Romans 11:13-14 “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.” Have you heard St. Paul evangelized by using jealousy? Veronica helps Melissa understand St. Paul's unusual tactic. For Sunday's Mass Reading: ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings/2023-08-20
Consider and Hold Firm Hebrews 3:1–6 The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity Sunday, October 13, 2024 The Rev. Andrew DeFusco, Rector Church of the Redeemer, Nashville TN www.Redeemer-Nashville.net
Jesus wants us to make sure we're wearing our wedding garment when we come to the Wedding Feast. What does that mean? How do we wear it? Paul and Solomon will give us some help.How to examine oneself daily and before receiving the Lord's Supper. How to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.Trinity 20 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dan-greg/support
Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 13, 2024 (The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, or the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 23]; Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1066). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalm 107:1-22 2 Kings 4:8-37 1 John 2:7-29 Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support
Which verse choice is better, should your kids go to college, and how much should you use AI in sermon writing. Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:1–14 and Matthew 21:33–44
From beginning to end, the kingdom of heaven is about the invitation to the wedding banquet. You have all been invited to a banquet before, so you have some idea of what's it's like to get an invitation. This banquet is the wedding feast of the Lamb that has no end, and God the Father has been inviting…
Evening Prayer for Saturday, October 12, 2024 (Eve of The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, or the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 23]; Elizabeth Fry, Renewer of Society, 1845). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalm 106:19-48 2 Maccabees 7 Matthew 27:27-56 Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support
Pr. Will Weedon, Host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Celebrating the Saints Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey See My Savior's Hands We Praise You O God The post 2811. Looking Forward to Sunday Morning: Twentieth Sunday after Trinity – Pr. Will Weedon, 10/7/24 first appeared on Issues, Etc..
Two pastors thinking out loud about the upcoming Gospel reading. This episode is devoted to the Gospel reading for The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 21:1–14. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Regular Guest: Fr. Dave Petersen ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost ORISON: ‘Beloved, let us love one another' from In Praise of Singing – Alice Parker (1925-2023) PSALM 139 – Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014) HYMN: God himself is with us (Tune: TYSK) – from Psalm und Choralbuch, 1719; arr. Gregory Bloch NUNC DIMITTIS – Plainsong setting, Tonus peregrinus; harm. William Byrd […]
Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 6, 2024 (The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 22]). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalm 90 1 Kings 20:1, 13, 21-43 1 Peter 4:7-19 Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support
Given on the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, 2024.
The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity sermon by Pastor Atkinson
Holy God so often we feel cut off from you and one another. Help us find our way to healing and hope, so that we can become new again. Amen. Strikingly beautiful, Maria had deep dark eyes and long black hair. Superficially she seemed jaded, a kind of rebel. But if you took the time to really know her, she had great intelligence, sensitivity and heart. During my junior year of high school we were close friends. She used to talk about what it felt like getting painfully lost in the shuffle after her parents split up, about her resentful mother being left with almost nothing. In those days divorce was suddenly becoming far more widespread and our society was not prepared. We did not know how to cope with divorce in a humane and grace-filled way. Divorce deeply affects all of us. Perhaps you have gone through a divorce yourself, or maybe it was your parents, your children, a close friend or work colleague. In our society really poor people, the ones who are barely making it, are far more likely to get divorced than wealthy people. Being truly part of the human family means understanding how hard it can be to sustain a relationship and how much pain we can suffer when it breaks down. Many of us also have an experience of new life and joy on the other side of this suffering. What does Jesus offer as we try to understand this feature of the human condition? Many preachers shy away from this complex topic and I worry a little about putting words into Jesus' mouth and a lot about saying something that inadvertently harms you. But I believe that Jesus offers practical and real good news. But like all communication his words need to be interpreted and this requires difficult work. It is worth it because this teaching will lead us to wholeness and new life. The context matters. Jesus has been teaching his disciples about becoming “servants of all.” [1] In fact he says that the world completely misunderstands servanthood. In Imperial Rome but also today we tend to think of servants as lower, lesser, outsiders compelled to work for those who are greater than they are. We easily slip into thinking that the great ones are those who coerce and control others. But Jesus turns this idea on its head. He tells his friends that serving others, especially vulnerable people, is the key to a meaningful life. He says that the greatest one will be servant of all. Some Pharisees come to Jesus. The name Pharisee in Aramaic means “the ones who are set apart.” [2] They care intensely about determining what and who is pure. They are right to fear Jesus because he undermines this whole project. For Jesus there is one human family and no one is impure or left out. The Pharisees ask Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” The narrator calls this question a trap. Whether Jesus says yes or no the Pharisees have a plan to condemn him. Jesus understands that there is no right answer. He also knows what happened after King Herod and his former sister-in-law each divorced their spouses and married each other. John the Baptist criticized their marriage. And this led to his execution by Herod. Rather than trying to set a policy or law on divorce Jesus changes the question. Rather than asking if it is legal to divorce he asks us to consider what God wants for us. During those times there were ethical disagreements concerning divorce. Some believed that the only justification for divorce was sexual infidelity. Others thought that a husband should be able to divorce his wife for pretty much any reason. According to the Book of Deuteronomy a man can write a certificate of divorce if his wife, “does not please him” or, “because he finds something objectionable about her” (Deut. 24:1-4). This biblical passage puts all the power in the hands of the husband. It makes divorce the rule rather than an exception to be employed only after all other courses of action have failed. Most important this law endangers the most vulnerable people in society – women and children who could not own property and who depend for their well-being on the generosity of their husband and father. This actually describes the situation of my friend Maria. Jesus hates just this kind of human suffering. You can almost hear him raise his voice as he says that the reason for a commandment permitting divorce is our “hardness of heart.” But note this. Jesus does not say Moses was wrong. Jesus does not say that the commandment permitting divorce should cease to be a law. Jesus is not forbidding divorce. Instead he uses hyperbole to make a point. In our reading a few weeks ago Jesus said that, “if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out” (Mk. 9:47). Just as this is not a call for us to pluck out our eyes, Jesus describing remarriage as a kind of adultery does not mean that no one should ever get divorced. In every way Jesus says we are children of God and our actions have lasting effects on other children of God many of whom are far more vulnerable than we are. Jesus is the same person who teaches us that the law was made for human beings not human beings for the law. Jesus' point is not to shame people who have already suffered all the effects of a broken relationship. He is not trying to make people stay in a relationship that is abusive or in one that has clearly died. He is not trying to preserve relationships that continue to do damage to the people who are in them. Instead Jesus is moving our attention from what the law permits to God's dream for how our relationships could be. Describing this higher picture of marriage Jesus rejects the Pharisees' approach which only sees the relationship from the perspective of the divorcing husband. In his words here Jesus treats women and men the same (he talks in equal terms about a man and a woman divorcing a spouse). Jesus paints a picture of what love can become. He quotes the book of Genesis and talks about people leaving their families in order to be joined together. So often in my own life I think about the deep and miraculous truth that “the two shall become one flesh.” Adding to this Jesus says that, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Let that sink in for a bit. Imagine two beings so united in purpose and affection that they become like one single entity. Imagine God as the source of our deepest relationships and actively at work in helping them to thrive. I understand that marriage is not for everyone. Anyone entering into marriage needs to know that even in the best circumstances it can be hard work. Marriage involves renewing the relationship over and over again. Marriage requires wisdom, communication, perseverance, patience, courage, forgiveness and an openness to what is new and what cannot be controlled. It demands not just a commitment to the other person but to the relationship itself. To be strong a marriage requires a community of support like the one gathered here this morning. Jesus wants us to know that there is more to life than feeling justified by the law and superior to another person. Jesus wants us to strive for goodness, to find the way that we are called to serve. But there are relationships that have become so broken that no matter how hard we try, they cannot be saved. Jesus speaks about this not because we have broken some rule and deserve to be punished, but because it is God's nature to be present to help us when we are suffering. [3] I began by sharing my fear of speaking about divorce with you today. I guess I really did not want to be misunderstood on this point. Jesus does not condemn people for being divorced. Fifty years ago Diane, my mother-in-law and one of the women I most admire, went through a divorce with my father-in-law. Because of this the church she grew up in utterly rejected her. For decades she never felt comfortable in a church and I did not talk to her about it. Some of you might remember that magical midnight Christmas mass ten years ago when she joined us. Delayed by her flight, Diane hesitantly made her way down the center aisle to her pew. In all those years as family we had never worshiped together. In the middle of my sermon, preaching from this pulpit I immediately recognized her. I almost started crying tears of joy because she had come home – loved by God and by you the people who welcomed her. Our reading today ends as Jesus' disciples try to keep children from bothering him. Mark writes that Jesus feels “indignant” about this. He says, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Mark writes, “And [Jesus] took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” This week I keep thinking of my high school friend Maria and Jesus taking her into his arms and blessing her. I imagine Jesus holding Diane with that smile from Christmas on her face and blessing her. And in my mind's eye I see all the people who have suffered the effects of difficult marriages and divorce and he is reaching out to embrace and bless us. [1] Matt Boulton, “One Flesh: Salt's Commentary for the Twentieth Week after Pentecost, SALT, 1 October 2024. https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2018/10/3/one-flesh-salts-lectionary-commentary-for-twentieth-week-after-pentecost [2] “The appellation “Pharisee” is probably derived from the Aramaic word perishayya which means “the separated one.” Very likely the addresses of Mark's story would not know that. But from previous narrative they have already learned that the Pharisees maintain a pollution system that separates the world into two realms of the clean and the unclean.” Herman Waetjen, A Reordering of Power: A Socio-Political Reading of Mark's Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989) 165. [3] Canon Edie Weller writes about this in a sermon. She says, “Jesus was a realist. He knew that there are times when we can't reach or maintain the kind of relationship that God might dream for us. There are times and circumstances which lead to broken relationships, from which – as hard as we might work at it – we cannot recover. Jesus speaks about this not because the death of a marriage is more sinful or worse in some way than other experiences of human brokenness. Rather he speaks about this because he cares about us. God's grief in the face of our irreconcilable differences stems not from our having broken the rules or failed a divine test, but from God's response to our experience of such pain. Edie B. Weller, “Sermon for Sunday October 7, 2018 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (Proper 22), St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Seattle, Washington. https://saintmarks.org/staff/the-rev-edie-weller/
Evening Prayer for Saturday, October 5, 2024 (Eve of The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 22]). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalm 89:19-52 Malachi 1 Matthew 24:29-51 Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support
Jacob and Special Guest Ken Jones of the Iowa Preachers Project (https://www.iapreachers.org/) take a look at the readings for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, which are Job 1:1; 2:1-10, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12, and Mark 10:2-16.
Chapter, Verse, and Season: A Lectionary Podcast from Yale Bible Study
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss Satan, unanswered questions, and internal contradictions in Job 1:1, 2:1-10. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.More Yale Bible Study resources, including a transcript of this episode, at: https://YaleBibleStudy.org/podcastHarold Attridge is Sterling Professor of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. Joel Baden is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Director of the Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School. Connect with Yale Bible Study: Facebook: @YDSCCE Twitter: @BibleYale YouTube: youtube.com/c/YaleBibleStudy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/yds-center-for-continuing-education Thank you for listening!
Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Joy J. Moore, and Matt Skinner for a conversation on the Revised Common Lectionary texts for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Ord. 27B) on October 6, 2024. The texts for the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost present challenging passages from Mark, Genesis, Job, and Hebrews. The discussion begins with navigating these texts and offering pastoral care, addressing the themes of divorce, relationships, loneliness, and unjust suffering. Commentaries for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Ord. 27B): https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-27-2/commentary-on-mark-102-16-6. Watch the Full Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gG_Lamy5KjA.
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading I: Proverbs 9:1-6 Reading II: Ephesians 5:15-20 Gospel: John 6:51-58
The examen is a centuries-old prayer practice that helps you find God in your daily life. This daily podcast is based on a technique that St. Ignatius Loyola outlined in the Spiritual Exercises, his classic manual for prayer. Each week Father James Martin, S.J. will provide you with a new reflection and guide you through the examen prayer. To support the production of The Examen podcast and access all of America's content, please become a digital subscriber.
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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is the Eucharist a symbol?
Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Let praise go up first. There is something that every Christian can do at every moment and in every situation...that most of us forget to do. Or we fail to do it. God has called us to offer praise at all times. Mass Readings from August 18, 2024: Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalms 34:2-7Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58
Read OnlineJesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51It must have been somewhat shocking to the people who heard Jesus say this for the first time. Immediately after Jesus said this, we read that “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'” Jesus addressed their confusion even more directly by saying, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Those who were confused must have become even more confused, and those who believed must have deepened their faith as they heard Jesus teach so clearly and profoundly.Of course, Jesus was speaking about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is truly His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We know that. We believe it. But from time to time, it is a helpful spiritual practice to revisit our Lord's very direct and definitive teaching. On the deepest level, the Eucharist will always remain a profound mystery of faith. How can we eat His flesh and drink His blood? To someone without faith and without a basic understanding of the Eucharist, this teaching seems shocking and unbelievable. In fact, it's easy to understand how some of the first hearers of this teaching quarreled among themselves in confusion. For that reason, we must listen to Jesus' words with the spiritual gift of understanding so that we are not among those who are confused. Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit that opens our minds to the deep spiritual truths Jesus is revealing. If we attempt to listen to this teaching using our human reason alone, we will never understand.When you consider Jesus' teaching on the Holy Eucharist, what do you understand and believe? Especially consider what goes through your mind when you attend the Holy Mass and go forward to receive Communion. What normally takes place within you at that moment? Some come forward distracted or even disinterested, paying more attention to the others around them than to the Eucharist. Others simply go forward out of habit because that's what they have always done. Some see the Eucharist more as a symbol of our sharing in God's banquet. But some come forward with a deep spiritual hunger and thirst for God, receive Him in faith, love Him deeply as they consume Him, and are filled with hopeful anticipation that their reception of this holy gift will transform them interiorly and set them more firmly on the path to holiness. Which person are you most like?Believing in the Holy Eucharist and receiving it with the utmost faith and devotion will only happen when we believe. But believing doesn't come automatically. It first requires understanding. And understanding will only come when we allow our minds to engage the mystery and teaching of Jesus, ponder it, contemplate it, penetrate it and open ourselves to God's gentle and revealing voice. Words do not suffice to explain this mystery. Prayer that opens oneself to the voice of God alone suffices. Reflect, today, upon how you approach Holy Communion each week. Start by thinking about the last few times you went forward to receive our Lord in this way. From there, think about how deeply you understand that moment. Is it transforming for you? Are you among those who hunger and thirst for Jesus? Do you notice the spiritual effects that take place within you as a result of your reception of the Eucharist? If so, then deepen your faith by committing yourself to a more prayerful participation in the Mass the next time you attend. If not, then try to step back and examine that which you actually believe, are confused about or do not believe. There is no greater gift we will ever receive in life than the Eucharist. Believe it with all your heart, and the Eucharist will change your life.My Eucharistic Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief. I thank You for the very gift of Yourself, given to me in the reception of Holy Communion. Please continue to teach me about this Gift, dear Lord. Open my mind to understand so that I will always come forward to receive with the utmost faith, love and hope. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: I Am the Bread of Life, via flickr
Podcast Credit Scripture references used with permission from the National Council of the Churches of Christ. Text comes from: “New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."Produced by Fr Stephen Gadberry and Robbie RiveraSupport the Show.
A Bible study on John 6:51-58, the Gospel reading for The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B.