Dear Lord God, today You convict me for my old ways that die hard, telling me again that even in tribulation and when confronted by those in need, or who are weaker, or who outwardly proclaim their intentions against me as my enemies or those out to arm and or covet what You have blessed me with; I am to die to myself and my old ways under the sun. Immediately seek forgiveness, practice greater discipline of my spirit and control of my body. For as Pope Leo states, my ‘former malice is thrown out, and a new creature is filled and inebriated with You. For the effect of our sharing in the body and blood of Christ is to change us into what we receive. As we have died with Him, and we have been buried and raised to life with Him, so we bear Him within us, both in body and in spirit, in everything we do.’ Lord God I ask You not to give up on me put in every failure show me the blessing of Your will at work and give me a chance to die again, so that I may rise to server You. In Jesus name I ask and pray, Amen.
We are to celebrate the Lord’s paschal sacrifice with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The leaven of our former malice is thrown out, and a new creature is filled and inebriated with the Lord himself. For the effect of our sharing in the body and blood of Christ is to change us into what we receive. As we have died with Him, and we have been buried and raised to life with Him, so we bear Him within us, both in body and in spirit, in everything we do.
— Pope St. Leo the Great
1 We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedo’nia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints — 5 and this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 Accordingly we have urged Titus that as he had already made a beginning, he should also complete among you this gracious work. 7 Now as you excel in everything — in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us — see that you excel in this gracious work also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Bible Study: [8:1-9:15] Paul turns to a new topic, the collection for the church in Jerusalem. There is an early precedent for this project in the agreement mentioned in Gal 2:6-10. According to Acts, the church at Antioch had sent Saul and Barnabas to Jerusalem with relief (Acts 11:27-30). Subsequently Paul organized a project of relief for Jerusalem among his own churches. Our earliest evidence for it comes in 1 Cor 16:1-4 -after it had already begun (see the notes there); by the time Paul wrote Romans 15:25-28 the collection was completed and ready for delivery. 2 Cor 8-9 contain what appear to be two letters on the subject. In them Paul gives us his fullest exposition of the meaning he sees in the enterprise, presenting it as an act of Christian charity and as an expression of the unity of the church, both present and eschatological. These chapters are especially rich in the recurrence of key words, on which Paul plays; it is usually impossible to do justice to these wordplays in the translation. [1-24] This is a letter of recommendation for Titus and two unnamed companions, written from Macedonia probably at least a year later than 1 Cor 16. The recommendation proper is prefaced by remarks about the ideals of sharing and equality within the Christian community (2 Cor 8:1-15). Philippians 4:10-20 shows that Paul has reflected on his personal experience of need and relief in his relations with the community at Philippi; he now develops his reflections on the larger scale of relations between his Gentile churches and the mother church in Jerusalem. [1-5] The example of the Macedonians, a model of what ought to be happening at Corinth, provides Paul with the occasion for expounding his theology of "giving." [1] The grace of God: the fundamental theme is expressed by the Greek noun charis, which will be variously translated throughout these chapters as "grace" (2 Cor 8:1; 9:8, 14), "favor" (2 Cor 8:4), "gracious act" (2 Cor 8:6, 7, 9) or "gracious work" (2 Cor 8:19), to be compared to "gracious gift" (1 Cor 16:3). The related term, eucharistia, "thanksgiving," also occurs at 2 Cor 9:11, 12. The wordplay is not superficial; various mutations of the same root signal inner connection between aspects of a single reality, and Paul consciously exploits the similarities in vocabulary to highlight that connection. [2] Three more terms are now introduced. Test (dokime): the same root is translated as "to test" (2 Cor 8:8) and "evidence" (2 Cor 9:13); it means to be tried and found genuine. Abundance: variations on the same root lie behind "overflow" (2 Cor 8:2; 9:12), "excel" (2 Cor 8:7), "surplus" (2 Cor 8:14), "superfluous" (2 Cor 9:1) "make abundant" and "have an abundance" (2 Cor 9:8). These expressions of fullness contrast with references to need (2 Cor 8:14; 9:12). Generosity: the word haplotes has nuances of both simplicity and sincerity; here and in 2 Cor 9:11, 13 it designates the singleness of purpose that manifests itself in generous giving. [3-4] Paul emphasizes the spontaneity of the Macedonians and the nature of their action. They begged us insistently: the same root is translated as "urge," "appeal," "encourage" (2 Cor 8:6, 17; 9:5). Taking part: the same word is translated "contribution" in 2 Cor 9:13 and a related term as "partner" in 2 Cor 8:23. Service (diakonia): this word occurs also in 2 Cor 9:1, 13 as "service"; in 2 Cor 9:12 it is translated "administration," and in 2 Cor 8:19, 20 the corresponding verb is rendered "administer." [5] They gave themselves . . . to the Lord and to us: on its deepest level their attitude is one of self-giving. [6] Titus: 1 Cor 16 seemed to leave the organization up to the Corinthians, but apparently Paul has sent Titus to initiate the collection as well; 2 Cor 8:16-17 will describe Titus’ attitude as one of shared concern and cooperation. [7] The charitable service Paul is promoting is seen briefly and in passing within the perspective of Paul’s theology of the charisms. Earnestness (spoude): this or related terms occur also in 2 Cor 8:22 ("earnest") and 2 Cor 8:8, 16, 17 ("concern").
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being. 5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Bible Study: [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal humans (Psalm 146:3-4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Psalm 146:5-9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.
43 "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Bible Study: [5:1-7:29] The first of the five discourses that are a central part of the structure of this gospel. It is the discourse section of the first book and contains sayings of Jesus derived from Q and from M. The Lucan parallel is in that gospel’s "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:20-49), although some of the sayings in Matthew’s "Sermon on the Mount" have their parallels in other parts of Luke. The careful topical arrangement of the sermon is probably not due only to Matthew’s editing; he seems to have had a structured discourse of Jesus as one of his sources. The form of that source may have been as follows: four beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-4, 6, 11-12), a section on the new righteousness with illustrations (Matthew 5:17, 20-24, 27-28, 33-48), a section on good works (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18), and three warnings (Matthew 7:1-2, 15-21, 24-27). [43-48] See Lev 19:18. There is no Old Testament commandment demanding hatred of one’s enemy, but the "neighbor" of the love commandment was understood as one’s fellow countryman. Both in the Old Testament (Psalm 139:19-22) and at Qumran (1QS 9:21) hatred of evil persons is assumed to be right. Jesus extends the love commandment to the enemy and the persecutor. His disciples, as children of God, must imitate the example of their Father, who grants his gifts of sun and rain to both the good and the bad. [47] Jesus’ disciples must not be content with merely usual standards of conduct; see Matthew 5:20 where the verb "surpass" (Greek perisseuo) is cognate with the unusual (perisson) of this verse. [48] Perfect: in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in Matthew 19:21. The Lucan parallel (Luke 6:36) demands that the disciples be merciful.
Listen to today’s Video Reflection click http://www.atlanticvideo.com/clients/ccom/playreal_b2.php?file=reburiano0619.rpm&desc=Fr.%20Mark%20Reburiano%20(1:28)&cat=1
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