So let's talk about today's readings 1/6/10

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January 6, 2010
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Reading I
1 Jn 4:11-18
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R. (see 11) ** Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.**
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel

Mk 6:45-52
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.
 
“fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.”
– And yet, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God Himself will give
us courage, as we learn to grow in love.

“The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute”
– Speaking of kings is fitting in this week of the 3 kings. The bible doesn’t actually
say there were 3 kings, but just mentions 3 kinds of gifts. I wonder if the places
mentioned in this psalm are in the east?

“They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves”
– my translation adds the word “because” between these 2 sentences. I am
totally baffled, since I see no connection between the feeding miracle and
the walking on water miracle. Maybe I don’t understand the incident of the
loaves either.

today is the day of Bl Andre Bessette

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:
 
I like how our sanctification is tied in with how we love. We are not yet perfect.

John exhorts his readers to “remain” in love so that God will reciprocate.

I like what you said about fear of the Lord. That is different than the type of fear John speaks of. The disciples show us what kind of fear, and that is when things get turbulent, they fear Jesus won’t help. But He will. :o
 
It struck me that John says that no one has seen God! Didn’t the Apostles and many others see Jesus?

It could be construed that John is saying that Jesus wasn’t God, but merely the Son of God. (I know that’s not true, but hey, you asked what struck me from today’s readings…)
 
The very last verse," They were completely] astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened." Another version says their minds were closed.

They were astounded, I think, because the wind died down as soon as He got in the boat. Not to mention watching Him walking across the water. How were their minds closed? Hearts hardened?

I think, maybe they had been discussing the “incident” of the loaves and thinking of how handy that might be to be able to just whip up food out of nothing like that. What a golden goose! Maybe they could even sell the left-overs and fund all kinds of good works! Get my drift?

Then the wind kicks up, and they are afraid, Then see Him walking on the water. They are terrified! All those dreams up in smoke! Jesus is dead!

I don’t know, just thinkin’. I don’t really understand it either. I wonder if there is an “official” Catholic explanation for this story.

Peace,
Tom
 
Are you sure these are today’s readings? I recognise the psalm from Mass, but we had the arrival of the Magi as the Gospel…

Anyway, what struck me about the readings most: ‘one who fears is not yet perfect in Love’.
What a sentence - just think what that implies! Never to be afraid, even in the most terrifying circumstances, because you are full of the love of Christ. If we can achieve that on Earth, that must be the closest to heaven we can come while alive in this world.
God bless and Happy Little Christmas:)
 
Are you sure these are today’s readings? I recognise the psalm from Mass, but we had the arrival of the Magi as the Gospel…

Anyway, what struck me about the readings most: ‘one who fears is not yet perfect in Love’.
What a sentence - just think what that implies! Never to be afraid, even in the most terrifying circumstances, because you are full of the love of Christ. If we can achieve that on Earth, that must be the closest to heaven we can come while alive in this world.
God bless and Happy Little Christmas:)
Jan 6 is epiphany, but at least here in the US we celebrate that on Sunday.
 
that must be the closest to heaven we can come while alive in this world.
I agree, if you had perfect love, and no fear of any evil, that might as well BE heaven.

We celebrated 3 kings day on Sunday. How was your mass today in Ireland?
Was the gospel Matthew 2:1-12?

I like that “happy little Christmas”. Do most people say that in Ireland?

:blessyou:
 
I think, maybe they had been discussing the “incident” of the loaves and thinking of how handy that might be to be able to just whip up food out of nothing like that. What a golden goose! Maybe they could even sell the left-overs and fund all kinds of good works! Get my drift?
Sell the leftovers! :eek:
Well, maybe I might have thought like that, but I don’t think they did.
I think they were just exhausted and busy rowing and I’ve been terrified by things
I thought I saw when very over-tired. Why was Jesus going to pass them by
anyway, instead of helping them? It says He was going to pass them by.
 
It struck me that John says that no one has seen God! Didn’t the Apostles and many others see Jesus?

It could be construed that John is saying that Jesus wasn’t God, but merely the Son of God. (I know that’s not true, but hey, you asked what struck me from today’s readings…)
Right! and what about that time when Jesus said to Philip, “anyone who has seen
Me has seen the Father”?
 
The disciples show us what kind of fear, and that is when things get turbulent, they fear Jesus won’t help. But He will. :o
You know, it does say He meant to pass them by.

If Jesus always helped everyone with everything, there would be no mortuaries
or hospitals. He doesn’t always help, even the most innocent, and sometimes it
even seems like especially the most innocent. But we just have to trust Him,
because He is God.
 
You know, it does say He meant to pass them by.

If Jesus always helped everyone with everything, there would be no mortuaries
or hospitals. He doesn’t always help, even the most innocent, and sometimes it
even seems like especially the most innocent. But we just have to trust Him,
because He is God.
Yes, and we have to ask Him. And sometimes He might help someone by letting them go in the hospital. You never know what a little time spent with a broken leg will do for you! :o
 
We celebrated 3 kings day on Sunday. How was your mass today in Ireland?
Was the gospel Matthew 2:1-12?

I like that “happy little Christmas”. Do most people say that in Ireland?
We had Isaiah 60:1-6 for the first reading, a slightly longer version of the same Psalm 71, and St Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 as the second reading. And yes, Matthew 2:1-12 as the Gospel.
I’m guessing that the 6th isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation in America then? I know most of you have the 1st as a HDO and we didn’t in Ireland, though we still celebrated the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, but I thought everyone celebrated the Solemnity of the Epiphany on the same day aswell?:confused:

Little Christmas is one of the names the sixth has - I think it’s more of European origin because there’s loads of countries that have their present-giving on the sixth like the wise men, so it’s their Little Christmas. In Ireland, you’ll hear it being called ‘Nollag na mBan’ which means Women’s Christmas, the day when traditionally the women in the house take a break and the men do all the domestic work like cooking Christmas dinner. Not that that always happens though:)
 
We had Isaiah 60:1-6 for the first reading, a slightly longer version of the same Psalm 71, and St Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 as the second reading. And yes, Matthew 2:1-12 as the Gospel.
I’m guessing that the 6th isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation in America then? I know most of you have the 1st as a HDO and we didn’t in Ireland, though we still celebrated the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, but I thought everyone celebrated the Solemnity of the Epiphany on the same day aswell?:confused:

Little Christmas is one of the names the sixth has - I think it’s more of European origin because there’s loads of countries that have their present-giving on the sixth like the wise men, so it’s their Little Christmas. In Ireland, you’ll hear it being called ‘Nollag na mBan’ which means Women’s Christmas, the day when traditionally the women in the house take a break and the men do all the domestic work like cooking Christmas dinner. Not that that always happens though:)
Thank you for all this… Here the Epiphany is celebrated the first Sunday between
Jan 2 and 8. I know somebody somewhere celebrates it on the 6th, so I guess
that’s you! Yes, Jan 1 is HDO everywhere I know, but not for you? Interesting…

Present giving on the 6th is an ingenius idea, it would totally “beat the system”.
You could do your shopping during the week after Christmas when they have all
the best sales, and then “present day” wouldn’t interfere with Christmas as a
celebration of Christ’s birth like it does here.

I’m trying to imagine men doing all the domestic work…trying…not working.
but it’s a kind idea anyway. I note that they didn’t make it on Christmas day
itself, so the pressure is off, no one has to be afraid they’ll ruin Christmas. 😃
 
Yes, and we have to ask Him. And sometimes He might help someone by letting them go in the hospital. You never know what a little time spent with a broken leg will do for you! :o
Ah, right you are. The Lord works in mysterious ways, He gives us what we need,
not necessarily what we ask for. Sometimes it’s other people who are given what
they need because of our suffering. All that’s good too.
 
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