http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/091209.shtml
September 12, 2009
Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. 1 Timothy 1:15b-16
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. Luke 6:47-48
Piety
Jesus, you did not come here to sacrifice us. You came here to sacrifice yourself so we would not have to face consequences of our actions, inaction and hypocrisy after we heard your word. We thank you and praise you by the resolution to act according to what we have heard. Amen.
Study
Congruency between what we hear in Church and in our study (spiritual life) and how we act when we leave the pew is once again a theme of today’s readings. For anyone active in Cursillo trying to practice their Fourth Day, we recognize this precept and understand the struggle against sin experienced and confessed by Timothy. “Of these I am the foremost.”
Jesus stresses the relationship between hearing and doing. However, Christ does not go on to condemn or judge the people. He came to save us. His love caused him great pains. Rather than see us suffer for our inequities, he suffered for us. His scalp was pierced by the thorns of our lies. His back was whipped by the shame of our injustice. His hands were penetrated by our greed and selfishness. His feet were bound by our indifference to the needs surrounding us. His side was pierced by our jealousy.
Our faith is a confessional faith. Our faith is a salvation faith. Our faith is a triumphant faith. Once we recognize our true nature, we can begin to change it. Jesus is here to help us see better…just like he helped Nicodemus see and understand even under the cover of darkness. Just like he helped the Samaritan woman at the well see and understand in the heat of the afternoon sun. Once we confess our foremost nature, we can hope for the salvation promised by Jesus. Then we will triumph over our very nature.
Action
The goal of Catholics Confront Global Poverty, which is a program of Catholic Relief Services (www.CRS.org), is to educate and mobilize one million Catholics in the United States to defend the life and dignity of people living in poverty throughout the world, and urge our nation to act in response to the many faces of poverty.
Take some time to read The Faces of Poverty. (http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/pdfs/Backgrounder_The_Face_of_Global_Poverty.pdf)
We need to see and understand the issues to be tackled by the initiative:
International Assistance: Increase poverty-focused international assistance.
Peace: Strengthen international peacekeeping and peace-building initiatives.
Debt Relief: Complete debt relief.
Trade: Reform global trade and agriculture policies.
Natural Resources: Use natural resources in ways that protect the environment and benefit poor persons.
Climate Change: Address global climate change and help poor countries mitigate and adapt to it.
Migration: Promote comprehensive immigration reform and address the root causes of migration.
Let the tree of our Church be known by the fruit of our action. Sign up today to join the effort at http://donate.crs.org/site/PageNavigator/ccgp_signup.
