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Sunday Says Podcast \u2013 October 26, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflections <\/strong><\/p>\n Sunday October 26, 2014<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Lectionary: 148<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time <\/strong>(NAB Translation)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for October 26, 2014, the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time.\u00a0 Thank you for joining us as we begin preparing our hearts and minds for Mass by previewing and reflecting on the readings.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The selected readings this week challenge us with a question:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDo we show God we love him with our whole, heart, soul, strength and mind?\u201d\u00a0 If so how do we show it?\u00a0 \u00a0Let\u2019s take a look at the readings.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As always, we are using the Jerusalem translation for copyright purposes.<\/p>\n Reading 1<\/strong><\/p>\n Exodus 22:20-<\/strong><\/a>26<\/strong><\/p>\n Our first reading, from the Old Testament, comes from the second book of the Bible, Exodus, in a passage in which God gives laws concerning how we should treat both God and neighbor. \u00a0\u00a0In fact the heart of all sin is the failure to adequately love both God and<\/em> neighbor.\u00a0 \u00a0The Hebrew people of ancient Israel were surrounded by large and powerful nations who worshipped a variety of false gods and goddesses in fertility cults.\u00a0 \u00a0There was always a temptation to mix the neighboring religions in with the Hebrew religion, especially during times of famine or to create political alliances to gain military advantage (during times of war) or economic advantage (in times of peace).\u00a0 To give in to the temptation to worship false gods showed a lack of faith in the real God.\u00a0 This was a grave offense\u2014an insult to the one True God who had rescued His people from Egypt.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>God, being merciful by nature, has an interest in protecting the dignity of human beings as well.\u00a0 Therefore He made it a serious offense to take advantage of, or to oppress the poor, the weak, or the marginalized.\u00a0\u00a0 These were some of the sins that \u201ccried out to heaven.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus recapitulated this theme in the New Testament where He makes it clear that loving God and loving neighbor are two inseparable sides of the same coin.\u00a0\u00a0 Yet today we still, as much as ever, face the temptation to serve the false Gods of power, wealth, and pleasure– while often ignoring the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbor.\u00a0 Jesus warns of the consequences of this throughout the Gospels that we might take these words very seriously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Responsorial Psalm<\/strong><\/p>\n Psalm 1<\/strong>8:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The response for the responsorial Psalm is <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI love you, Lord, my strength.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Second reading<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Second Reading is from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.\u00a0 In this passage St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that it was by direct observation<\/em> of the Christian life modeled by Paul and the early saints, and by directly <\/em>experiencing the joy of the Holy Spirit that the Thessalonians were fully converted to the Gospel.\u00a0\u00a0 This conversion came about even despite<\/em> \u201cgreat opposition all round\u201d.\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0Joy, however, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit cannot be dependent on circumstances.\u00a0\u00a0 In fact it is a supernatural joy always present in spite of <\/em>our circumstances. The news of the conversion of the Thessalonians spread quickly because the results were authentic and spoke for themselves. This is the way the Good News was spread through Christian communities and should be our model today.\u00a0\u00a0 We too are facing great opposition in the current culture.\u00a0 Is our conversion genuine and producing a contagious joy and hope despite what is happening in the world around us? Are we showing that we<\/em> are authentic by bearing the fruit of good works for the glory of God and the benefit of our neighbor?\u00a0 Do we strive to be models of the Christian life worth imitating? Matthew 22:34-<\/strong><\/a>40<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ,<\/strong><\/p>\n In our reading from the Gospel of Matthew we see Jesus brilliantly summarize the purpose of the Old Testament Law and Prophets by marrying two very important verses together from the Torah, specifically Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. \u00a0Deuteronomy 6:5 is part of the Great Shema, which is the foundational prayer that every Jewish child is taught.\u00a0 It says, \u201cYou must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.\u201d\u00a0 Add to it Leviticus 19:18, \u201cyou shall love your neighbor as yourself,\u201d and suddenly we see the interweaving of the two threads of \u2018love of God\u2019 and \u2018love of neighbor\u2019 that form the backbone of Christian life.\u00a0 Leviticus 19:18 is given in the context of teaching us not seek revenge or to bear grudges.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course Jesus, as fulfillment of the Old Testament law, goes way<\/em> beyond that, telling us to do good, even<\/em> to those who hate us.\u00a0\u00a0 He lives out those words by dying on the cross.\u00a0\u00a0 Love of neighbor must<\/em> be rooted in love of God, otherwise it remains weak and perishable and can only go as far as mere human love can go, weak and undependable.\u00a0 Christ\u2019s love was a supernatural love and His sacrifice for mankind, grounded in the love of His Father, show how His words \u201cto love our neighbor\u201d are to be interpreted.\u00a0 How close are we?\u00a0 Do we show that we love the God we cannot see by loving the person that we can see?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Background music<\/strong><\/p>\n Persona migliore (Pira666)<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 Italy<\/a><\/p>\n Complect For \u2026 (Kosta T<\/a>)\/\u00a0CC BY-NC-SA-3.0<\/a><\/p>\n Be Inspired (Podington Bear<\/a>) \/\u00a0CC BY-NC 3.0<\/a><\/p>\n Haunted (Jamie Evans<\/a>)\/\u00a0CC BY-NC-SA-3.0<\/a><\/p>\n Porthglaze Cove (Gillicuddy<\/a>)\/\u00a0CC BY-NC-3.0-DE<\/a><\/p>\n Feedback Line Number: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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