Mon (1-4) Mass readings (we receive what we ask because we obey / distinction between lunacy & demonic possession)

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**January 4, 2010 **

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
Lectionary: 212

Reading I
1 Jn 3:22–4:6

Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
***and love one another ***just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,

because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.

This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm
2:7bc-8, 10-12a


R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Gospel
Mt 4:12-17, 23-25


When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
***the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen. ***

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

*this shows you can’t take sciprutre out of context: the first reading says we receive what we ask for because we keep his Commandments… but of course, we do not receive just whatever we ask for from God whether we do keep his commandmnets or not… We receive what is His will that we receive… and much of our desires will not be realized on EArth… Of course much of our desires should never be realized anywhere anyhow…:eek:

in any case… interesting there is a biblical distinction between lunacy and possession. some used to think that in the Bible there was no such distinction, that everything “mentally wrong” was considered possession back in those days… *
 
“We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us”
– Wonder who-all is “we”?

“Ask of me and I will give you”
– Wonder if this is God’s way of saying He wants to be
asked first?

“He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea”
– so, He lived in Capernaum. My translation even says He
“settled” there. But did He have His own house?

Yes, I agree with your first paragraph. In fact, after the
prayers of the faithful, our priest always says, “We ask for
many things, but please give us what we truly need”

And yes again, I’ve heard the same thing, that epileptics,
and the mentally disturbed as well as other ailments, were
all considered “possessed” since they were not understood
by science back then. Here though, a distinction is clearly
given. I guess “primitive” people knew more than we give
them credit for, and maybe they would think we were the
primitive ones, since we would be so helpless without all
our modern conveniences.
 
"And yes again, I’ve heard the same thing, that epileptics,
and the mentally disturbed as well as other ailments, were
all considered “possessed” since they were not understood
by science back then. Here though, a distinction is clearly
given. I guess “primitive” people knew more than we give
them credit for, and maybe they would think we were the
primitive ones, since we would be so helpless without all
our modern conveniences.

interesting…

no matter what we pray for, or whether or not we get it .,… we can be assured of one thing: our prayers change us (or they can if we let them…but sometimes they do regardless… ) & that is why it is good to, as the Word says, Pray always… 🙂
 
i know people who seem to be both lunatic AND possessed… which makes sense because…

i am sure being possessed doesn’t do much for your mental condition 😃
 
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