Romans 11:29-36; Ps 69 Lord, in your great love answer me; Luke 14:12-14
We have been reading from the letter of Romans over the past few days and even weeks.
In chapters 9-11, St. Paul is presenting a case for the Jews who have not believed in Christ. His argument is quite a spin job.
"In respect to the gospel, the JEws are enemies of God for your sake; in respect to the election, they are beloved by him because of the patriarchs. God's gifts are irrevocable."
"Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their (jews) disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all."
It kind of makes your head hurt just reading it. Sounds like a theological spin cycle to me.
But the last part of today's reading really sums it all up.
"Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! HOw inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!...For from him and through him and for him are all things. To God be glory forever."
IT may seem a bit confusing to our weak and feeble minds. It may be down right overwhelming.
But in the end, it is the inscrutable judgments and unsearchable ways of God that ultimately become the ground of our hope and source of our strength and the cause that urges us on.
Now for the gospel.
The words of Jesus ring true especially as we look toward thanksgiving. "When you hold a dinner, do not invite your friends or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have your repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the blind, the lame, the crippled' blessed will you be for their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
How many of us do this?
How often do we want to be repaid immediately for what we have done? Perhaps we should check ourselves against this gospel and discover the freedom to give and not desire repayment.
Monday, October 31, 2011
All Hallows Eve: Saints Quiz
Know Your Saints Quiz Scroll down for the choices. Good Luck!
1. I am the apostle to the Gentiles whose letters you read in the Bible.
2. I am the first American citizen to be canonized whose work among the immigrants gave me the title of 'Patron of All Immigrants.'
3. I am the Carmelite saint whose "Little Way" shows us how offering joys and sorrows daily can make us a great saint.
4. I am the foster father of Christ and the patron of a happy death.
5. I am the cousin of Jesus who prepared the way for the Lord.
6. I am the woman who offered my veil to wipe Jesus' face when He was carrying His cross.
7. I am the apostle chosen by Christ to be head of His Church.
8. I am the missionary who made Ireland famous for its piety and learning.
9. I am the beloved apostle and the writer of the fourth gospel.
10. I am the cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose baby was Presanctified.
11. I am the patron saint of music because I sang the praises of God while I was cruelly put to death.
12. I am the modern day saint who chose martyrdom rather than to be impure.
13. I am the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus.
14. I am the valiant young girl who led France to victory over England and then suffered death by being burned at the stake.
15. I am the 'Little Poverino' whose order is now the largest in the world and who so resembled Christ in my life that I was privileged to bear His sacred wounds in my own body.
16. I am the 'Wonder Worker' of Padua and a Doctor of the Church.
17. I am the Patron saint of schools who was once called the Dumb Ox by my classmates but who wrote many treatises on the faith. My teacher was St. Albert the Great.
18. I am the saint who reformed the Carmelite Order and who became the first woman Doctor of the Church.
19. I am the simple parish priest who was tormented by the devil because my great sanctity brought my people closer to God.
20. I am the Visitation nun to whom Jesus appeared showing His Sacred Heart and to whom He delivered His message of love and plea for reparation.
Choices:
St. Peter, St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Anthony, St. Joan of Arc
St. Elizabeth, St. Anne
St. John the Baptist, St. John the Apostle
St. Margaret Mary , St. Patrick
St. Maria Goretti, St. Paul
St. Teresa of Avila, St. Cecilia
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Vianney
St. Joseph, St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Francis Assisi, St. Veronica
* 20 point bonus for those who know the century in which their saint lived.
* 5 points for each piece of information you know about your saint.
Here is the Litany of Saints; pray it sometime today and tomorrow
Here is a nice article on the history of All saints and Halloween and how they mix
1. I am the apostle to the Gentiles whose letters you read in the Bible.
2. I am the first American citizen to be canonized whose work among the immigrants gave me the title of 'Patron of All Immigrants.'
3. I am the Carmelite saint whose "Little Way" shows us how offering joys and sorrows daily can make us a great saint.
4. I am the foster father of Christ and the patron of a happy death.
5. I am the cousin of Jesus who prepared the way for the Lord.
6. I am the woman who offered my veil to wipe Jesus' face when He was carrying His cross.
7. I am the apostle chosen by Christ to be head of His Church.
8. I am the missionary who made Ireland famous for its piety and learning.
9. I am the beloved apostle and the writer of the fourth gospel.
10. I am the cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose baby was Presanctified.
11. I am the patron saint of music because I sang the praises of God while I was cruelly put to death.
12. I am the modern day saint who chose martyrdom rather than to be impure.
13. I am the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus.
14. I am the valiant young girl who led France to victory over England and then suffered death by being burned at the stake.
15. I am the 'Little Poverino' whose order is now the largest in the world and who so resembled Christ in my life that I was privileged to bear His sacred wounds in my own body.
16. I am the 'Wonder Worker' of Padua and a Doctor of the Church.
17. I am the Patron saint of schools who was once called the Dumb Ox by my classmates but who wrote many treatises on the faith. My teacher was St. Albert the Great.
18. I am the saint who reformed the Carmelite Order and who became the first woman Doctor of the Church.
19. I am the simple parish priest who was tormented by the devil because my great sanctity brought my people closer to God.
20. I am the Visitation nun to whom Jesus appeared showing His Sacred Heart and to whom He delivered His message of love and plea for reparation.
Choices:
St. Peter, St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Anthony, St. Joan of Arc
St. Elizabeth, St. Anne
St. John the Baptist, St. John the Apostle
St. Margaret Mary , St. Patrick
St. Maria Goretti, St. Paul
St. Teresa of Avila, St. Cecilia
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Vianney
St. Joseph, St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Francis Assisi, St. Veronica
* 20 point bonus for those who know the century in which their saint lived.
* 5 points for each piece of information you know about your saint.
Here is the Litany of Saints; pray it sometime today and tomorrow
Here is a nice article on the history of All saints and Halloween and how they mix
Saturday, October 29, 2011
curse?
Malachi 1:14-2:2,8-10; Ps 13 In you Lord, I have found my peace; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9,13; Mt 23:1-12
Listen the words of the prophet Malachi, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."
These are the words of of God spoken by the prophet. Think about those words, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."
Really! Wow! what appropriate readings with Halloween right around the corner.
Is God really going to curse someone? Cursing doesn't seem like something the God of love would be about. Cursing seems a bit vindictive rather than merciful!
Would God really wish that evil or harm would befall someone?
What is this curse business all about anyway.
The answer is both a yes and a no.
No, God doesn't wish evil to befall anyone. God is love. God is good. Evil is an absence of good, as St. Augustine put it.
God is not some warlock in the sky sending evil and harmful realities our way.
But God does let us experience the effects of our wonderings. God will let us experience the negative effects of our choices and decisions.
God will give us what we ask for, this is true.
This is what the prophet Malachi is speaking about when he speaks of God cursing.
God will grant our desires. He will let us experience the negative side effects of the decisions and choices we make.
These negative side effects have a far reaching effect.
Listen to Malachi again. "You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instructions; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the lord of hosts."
God does not cheat us from our freedom but lets us experience the reality of the freedom by which we choose to live.
How often is this the case and we blame God and refuse to be responsible and accountable for our own actions.
I try to remind people of this every time I celebrate a baptism. I smear the children with the oil of Catechumen on the chest prior to baptism.
I often remark how the oil is slippery. The oil reminds us that we are slippery from the hands of the devil the moment we are baptized. The devil has no power any longer. The only way evil can be brought into our life is by the abuse of our freedom or the abuse of some else's freedom.
I try to remind people of the necessity of being prudent with the choices we make so that good is served.
God desires to bless us abundantly but he will also grant us what we desire and with it comes all the negative side effects as well.
IT isn't that God curses us; rather we curse ourselves by our choices and actions.
Now we move to the gospel...
The words of Jesus are a warning not just to the scribes and pharisees but to all of us in leadership.
"For they preach but do not practice."
This is reminiscent of the old adage, "Do as I say not as I do" morality.
This never works. We all know integrity is what moves us. Words are cheap. Actions matter most of all.
Are we guilty of this? Do we preach and not practice?
Secondly Jesus says the scribes and pharisees only want to be noticed, "They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor...(not to mention titles such as) "Rabbi".
The phylacteries are leather boxes that would be worn on the forehead and left arm during morning prayer. These boxes contained scriptures. Apparently, size did matter to some.
Some would increase the size of their box so that others might comment about their piety or devotion. The focus shifted from glory to God to glory to oneself.
We all can fall into this trap. How easy is it to be seduced by the lime light? How easy is it to be seduced by the titles and prestige and the notoriety?
How often do we make our life about us rather than about God in Christ?
Leave the show behind. Be who you were created to be, that is to remember we were created for glory first to give it then and only then receive it.
Again we go back to Malachi, "If yo do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name..."
This is the central theme of the readings. This must become the check list for our lifestyle and actions.
Does it give glory to His name?
Ad majorem Dei gloria: for the greater glory of God
Listen the words of the prophet Malachi, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."
These are the words of of God spoken by the prophet. Think about those words, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."
Really! Wow! what appropriate readings with Halloween right around the corner.
Is God really going to curse someone? Cursing doesn't seem like something the God of love would be about. Cursing seems a bit vindictive rather than merciful!
Would God really wish that evil or harm would befall someone?
What is this curse business all about anyway.
The answer is both a yes and a no.
No, God doesn't wish evil to befall anyone. God is love. God is good. Evil is an absence of good, as St. Augustine put it.
God is not some warlock in the sky sending evil and harmful realities our way.
But God does let us experience the effects of our wonderings. God will let us experience the negative effects of our choices and decisions.
God will give us what we ask for, this is true.
This is what the prophet Malachi is speaking about when he speaks of God cursing.
God will grant our desires. He will let us experience the negative side effects of the decisions and choices we make.
These negative side effects have a far reaching effect.
Listen to Malachi again. "You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instructions; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the lord of hosts."
God does not cheat us from our freedom but lets us experience the reality of the freedom by which we choose to live.
How often is this the case and we blame God and refuse to be responsible and accountable for our own actions.
I try to remind people of this every time I celebrate a baptism. I smear the children with the oil of Catechumen on the chest prior to baptism.
I often remark how the oil is slippery. The oil reminds us that we are slippery from the hands of the devil the moment we are baptized. The devil has no power any longer. The only way evil can be brought into our life is by the abuse of our freedom or the abuse of some else's freedom.
I try to remind people of the necessity of being prudent with the choices we make so that good is served.
God desires to bless us abundantly but he will also grant us what we desire and with it comes all the negative side effects as well.
IT isn't that God curses us; rather we curse ourselves by our choices and actions.
Now we move to the gospel...
The words of Jesus are a warning not just to the scribes and pharisees but to all of us in leadership.
"For they preach but do not practice."
This is reminiscent of the old adage, "Do as I say not as I do" morality.
This never works. We all know integrity is what moves us. Words are cheap. Actions matter most of all.
Are we guilty of this? Do we preach and not practice?
Secondly Jesus says the scribes and pharisees only want to be noticed, "They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor...(not to mention titles such as) "Rabbi".
The phylacteries are leather boxes that would be worn on the forehead and left arm during morning prayer. These boxes contained scriptures. Apparently, size did matter to some.
Some would increase the size of their box so that others might comment about their piety or devotion. The focus shifted from glory to God to glory to oneself.
We all can fall into this trap. How easy is it to be seduced by the lime light? How easy is it to be seduced by the titles and prestige and the notoriety?
How often do we make our life about us rather than about God in Christ?
Leave the show behind. Be who you were created to be, that is to remember we were created for glory first to give it then and only then receive it.
Again we go back to Malachi, "If yo do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name..."
This is the central theme of the readings. This must become the check list for our lifestyle and actions.
Does it give glory to His name?
Ad majorem Dei gloria: for the greater glory of God
mountaineering: lover of high place
Romans 11:1-2,11-12,25-29; Ps 94 The Lord will not abandon his people; Luke 14:1,7-11
Look at the Psalm today.
It is short and sweet. The last part of the psalm is striking and rings true for all of us who are honest on this journey.
"Were not the Lord my help, my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave. When I say, "My foot is slipping," your mercy, O Lord, sustains me."
Mountaineering or the sport of climbing mountains is simply one of the finest outdoor opportunities available to the lover of high places.
Mountain climbing is all about challenge and perseverance, about putting hands and feet onto rocks and ice and snow and finally reaching a summit. There, high above the world of cities and civilization, the climber can pause and look across a natural world ruled by nature and her raw beauty.
In order to truly enjoy the height and breath of the mountain experience, the climber can't start at the top but must begin at the base of the mountain and slowly and steadily work upward.
There are a lot of tools that necessitate the climb: axe, ropes, harness, boots, crampons, webbing and cord, slacklines, slips and runners, quickdraws, carabines, etc.
On perilous journeys, the rope acts as a safety line that gives support and safety as the climber heads upward. Just in case there is slippage, then the rope will catch hold and the climber will not tumble to his or her demise.
Mountain climbing is a good analogy for the spiritual life. The spiritual life is only for those lovers of high places.
There are no slick mountains, for then the climb would be impossible.
The climb necessitates crevices and steep and sharp cliffs as wells as gentle slopes and rocky terrain all of which allows the climb to move upward.
This is our movement back to God.
All the while we climb upward it is the mercy of God that is our safety rope, that which sustains us. IT is always there to encourage us and to eliminate the fear of the climb, the ascent.
Jesus doesn't say we hsould be in high places in today's gospel rather he just reminds us not to cheat ourselves of the climb. We have start at the bottom.
We start at the bottom and we slowly make our way to the top but we only do so with humble awareness that were it not for the rope of mercy we would all simply fall.
All that is left is simply to climb on!
**********
From the Pope: through faith, we can recognize the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love!
Look at the Psalm today.
It is short and sweet. The last part of the psalm is striking and rings true for all of us who are honest on this journey.
"Were not the Lord my help, my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave. When I say, "My foot is slipping," your mercy, O Lord, sustains me."
Mountaineering or the sport of climbing mountains is simply one of the finest outdoor opportunities available to the lover of high places.
Mountain climbing is all about challenge and perseverance, about putting hands and feet onto rocks and ice and snow and finally reaching a summit. There, high above the world of cities and civilization, the climber can pause and look across a natural world ruled by nature and her raw beauty.
In order to truly enjoy the height and breath of the mountain experience, the climber can't start at the top but must begin at the base of the mountain and slowly and steadily work upward.
There are a lot of tools that necessitate the climb: axe, ropes, harness, boots, crampons, webbing and cord, slacklines, slips and runners, quickdraws, carabines, etc.
On perilous journeys, the rope acts as a safety line that gives support and safety as the climber heads upward. Just in case there is slippage, then the rope will catch hold and the climber will not tumble to his or her demise.
Mountain climbing is a good analogy for the spiritual life. The spiritual life is only for those lovers of high places.
There are no slick mountains, for then the climb would be impossible.
The climb necessitates crevices and steep and sharp cliffs as wells as gentle slopes and rocky terrain all of which allows the climb to move upward.
This is our movement back to God.
All the while we climb upward it is the mercy of God that is our safety rope, that which sustains us. IT is always there to encourage us and to eliminate the fear of the climb, the ascent.
Jesus doesn't say we hsould be in high places in today's gospel rather he just reminds us not to cheat ourselves of the climb. We have start at the bottom.
We start at the bottom and we slowly make our way to the top but we only do so with humble awareness that were it not for the rope of mercy we would all simply fall.
All that is left is simply to climb on!
**********
From the Pope: through faith, we can recognize the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Simon and jude
Ephesians 2:19-22; Ps 19 Their message goes out through all the earth; Luke 6:12-16
As we close the month of October and get ready for November and December, we are asked to pause and as we say good by to October we recognize to of the apostles: SImon and Jude on this their feast day.
Not much is known about Simon, the Zealot or Jude aka Thaddaeus.
But we do know a little.
Simon, was called the zealot. He was a man of great passion and at least passionate attachment to his Jewish identity, God and the divine law. He was driven by this passion in all that he did.
This zeal certainly set him apart from Matthew, one of the other apostles. In fact, Simon and Matthew were worlds apart: Simon the zealot, passionate for his Jewish identity and Matthew, the sell out who was a tax collector.
It is hard to imagine any two more different people, yet in Christ they were called to stand together.
They lived side by side bound by Jesus Christ.
As Pope Benedict points out, this difference in unity reminds us that Jesus did not care about labels or social class but rather he was interested in people. Despite our differences, difficulties can be overcome in Christ, for in Christ we are given strength to get the better of our conflicts and allow them to be fruitful for unity.
Something to think about as we move and rub up against so many different types of persons and personalities. We can get the better of our differences and difficulties in Christ rather than letting then get the better of us.
Secondly we look to Jude aka Thaddaeus. Jude has a letter in the New Testament, which would be worth reading today on his feast.
Jude had a very important and timely question he asked Jesus at the Lord's Supper, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world."
Why did God in Christ not reveal himself in full glory to his enemies in order to win them over, to show them he was God?
Why only show his disciples?
Jesus' answer is very revealing for us, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
The Risen one must be perceived not by sight alone but by the heart. Jesus, the Lord, does not address himself as a thing, but he desires to enter our lives, thus he requires an open heart.
Check you heart today. IS it open or has it been hardened shut.
Will you let Him in and let him make his home within you?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
who can be against us
Romans 8:31-39; Ps 109 Save me, O Lord, in your mercy; Luke 13:31-35
St. Paul sums it all up in just a few simple and well ordered words, "If God is for us, who can be agianst us?"
Is there really anything else that can add to this simply and noble statement of faith by St. Paul.
It really is a rallying cry for the person of faith as the journey of life unfolds, as the mystery of tomorrow is unveiled, as darkness gives way to light.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
How do we know God is for us?
What has God done to prove this reliabilty. How do we know God is reliable? How do we know God has got our back?
"He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not give us everythign else along with him?"
Sounds like a pretty convinving gesture. Sounds like a reason to believe to me!
St. Paul sums it all up in just a few simple and well ordered words, "If God is for us, who can be agianst us?"
Is there really anything else that can add to this simply and noble statement of faith by St. Paul.
It really is a rallying cry for the person of faith as the journey of life unfolds, as the mystery of tomorrow is unveiled, as darkness gives way to light.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
How do we know God is for us?
What has God done to prove this reliabilty. How do we know God is reliable? How do we know God has got our back?
"He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not give us everythign else along with him?"
Sounds like a pretty convinving gesture. Sounds like a reason to believe to me!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The man who prays is in glory...
Romans 8:8:26-30; Ps 13 My hope O Lord is in your mercy; Luke 13:22-30
Below is a commentary Pope Benedict gave on prayer a few weeks back. The commentary on prayer is a reflection on Psalm 3.
"This is the great temptation to which the believer is subjected -- the temptation to lose faith, to lose trust in the nearness of God. The just man overcomes this ultimate test; he remains steadfast in the faith, in the certainty of the truth and in full confidence in God, and it is precisely in this way that he finds life and truth. It seems to me that here the psalm touches us very personally; in so many problems we are tempted to think that perhaps not even God can save me, that He doesn't know me, that perhaps it is not possible for Him; the temptation against faith is the enemy's final assault, and this we must resist -- in so doing, we find God and we find life."
"This interweaving of the human cry and the divine response is the dialectic of prayer and the key to reading the whole of salvation history. The cry expresses the need for help and it appeals to the faithfulness of the other; to cry out means to express faith in the nearness of God and in His readiness to listen. Prayer expresses certainty in a divine presence already experienced and believed in, [a presence] manifested most fully by God's saving response. This is significant: that in our prayer the certainty of God's presence be important, that it be present. Thus, the psalmist, who feels himself besieged by death, confesses his faith in the God of life who as a shield wraps him with invulnerable protection; he who thought himself already lost can now lift up his head, for the Lord saves him; the man who prays -- threatened and scorned -- is in glory, because God is his glory."
Think about that last line. The man who prays in in glory, because God is his glory.
What a beautiful reminder about the necessity of perseverance in prayer.
How often we forget; how often we need to be reminded.
Flipping to the gospel today we encounter the question posed to JEsus by "someone". "Lord, will only a few people be saved."
This random, no name person poses a very important question. The question could be from anyone and many times it is a question we ourselves grapple with on a regular basis as we look out into the world.
In about 33 days the new translation of the Roman Missal will go into effect. We will be praying with different words. One of the new translations is going to affect the words of consecration.
Previously the priest prayed the following in the consecration of the wine, "Take this all of you and drink form it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me."
The new translation will have a few alterations, "Take this all of you and and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.
Notice the change of words as highlighted. Especially note the words are changed from "for all" to "for many."
Some scholars suggest that not only are the words "for many" more in lined with the actual words of scripture, as mentioned in isaiah 53:11-12, where the suffering servant would come to bear the sins of "many" and making "many" righteous but also some suggest that "for many" is a response to the question posed by the "someone" of today's gospel.
The person was aiming low, where as God in Christ was aiming high, not "for few" but "for many."
In deed Jesus Dies for all and the universal scope of the saving mission remains intact. Jesus dies for all, but not everyone chooses to accept the gift. Each individual must choose to accept the gift of salvation in Christ and live according to the grace so that they may be counted among the "many."
Thus, those who gather to celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday have chosen to respond to God's gift in Christ and thus they enter into that time of prayer in deed in glory, the one who prays is in glory, for God is his glory.
Below is a commentary Pope Benedict gave on prayer a few weeks back. The commentary on prayer is a reflection on Psalm 3.
"This is the great temptation to which the believer is subjected -- the temptation to lose faith, to lose trust in the nearness of God. The just man overcomes this ultimate test; he remains steadfast in the faith, in the certainty of the truth and in full confidence in God, and it is precisely in this way that he finds life and truth. It seems to me that here the psalm touches us very personally; in so many problems we are tempted to think that perhaps not even God can save me, that He doesn't know me, that perhaps it is not possible for Him; the temptation against faith is the enemy's final assault, and this we must resist -- in so doing, we find God and we find life."
"This interweaving of the human cry and the divine response is the dialectic of prayer and the key to reading the whole of salvation history. The cry expresses the need for help and it appeals to the faithfulness of the other; to cry out means to express faith in the nearness of God and in His readiness to listen. Prayer expresses certainty in a divine presence already experienced and believed in, [a presence] manifested most fully by God's saving response. This is significant: that in our prayer the certainty of God's presence be important, that it be present. Thus, the psalmist, who feels himself besieged by death, confesses his faith in the God of life who as a shield wraps him with invulnerable protection; he who thought himself already lost can now lift up his head, for the Lord saves him; the man who prays -- threatened and scorned -- is in glory, because God is his glory."
Think about that last line. The man who prays in in glory, because God is his glory.
What a beautiful reminder about the necessity of perseverance in prayer.
How often we forget; how often we need to be reminded.
Flipping to the gospel today we encounter the question posed to JEsus by "someone". "Lord, will only a few people be saved."
This random, no name person poses a very important question. The question could be from anyone and many times it is a question we ourselves grapple with on a regular basis as we look out into the world.
In about 33 days the new translation of the Roman Missal will go into effect. We will be praying with different words. One of the new translations is going to affect the words of consecration.
Previously the priest prayed the following in the consecration of the wine, "Take this all of you and drink form it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me."
The new translation will have a few alterations, "Take this all of you and and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.
Notice the change of words as highlighted. Especially note the words are changed from "for all" to "for many."
Some scholars suggest that not only are the words "for many" more in lined with the actual words of scripture, as mentioned in isaiah 53:11-12, where the suffering servant would come to bear the sins of "many" and making "many" righteous but also some suggest that "for many" is a response to the question posed by the "someone" of today's gospel.
The person was aiming low, where as God in Christ was aiming high, not "for few" but "for many."
In deed Jesus Dies for all and the universal scope of the saving mission remains intact. Jesus dies for all, but not everyone chooses to accept the gift. Each individual must choose to accept the gift of salvation in Christ and live according to the grace so that they may be counted among the "many."
Thus, those who gather to celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday have chosen to respond to God's gift in Christ and thus they enter into that time of prayer in deed in glory, the one who prays is in glory, for God is his glory.
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