So let's talk about today's readings 7/12/09

[cheeto1]

usccb.org/nab/today.shtml

“Off with you visionary…!..never again prophesy in Bethel…it is the king’s…”
Funny, it wasn’t that long ago that Jacob himself named it Bethel, saying,
“The Lord is in this place!” Maybe Amaziah should have changed the name
of the city back to Luz. Isn’t it just like this in America? “Off with you Christians!
Go back to your churches! Never again prophesy in the general public, it is
the governments!”

R. (8) **Lord, let us see your kindness – **Who shares this prayer of today’s psalm?
…Today, we must do something kind. If we do, we will see the Lord’s kindness,
because kindness comes from God…

"He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy…we who first hoped in Christ…you also, who have…believed in him,
were sealed with the promised holy Spirit…

This second reading gives so much to think about. Paul and his associates are
saying they were chosen before the foundation of the world, to preach this gospel
to the ones they are now speaking to. And what were those people chosen for? What were you and I chosen for? What were the holy innocents chosen for? We
continue daily to discover the answer to this mystery for ourselves…

“They were, however, to wear sandals” – why this instruction? I think they were
going to wear shoes anyway…

“So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” —
Who was Judas’ partner? They must have been very close, I know I would be
with anyone who I was doing these activities with…

I guess this doesn’t happen anymore. Two friends going out together, preaching
repentance, driving out demons, healing the sick. Even the priest can’t preach
repentance, because no one can agree on just exactly how to follow the 10 commandments, so no one believes they have anything to repent of. I am
aware the we have “annointing of the sick”, but I just haven’t heard of someone
being healed by it. As far as driving out demons, it seems like that would be on
the news if it happened.

Today is the day of John Jones, priest & martyr, in Wales.

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:

 

[Huiou_Theou]

Several things struck me about the readings (including the responsorial psalm).
I thought about the history of Israel – that is the Northern Kingdom – which in the time of Amos was in schizm with the southern state of Judah.

Amos, I think, comes from the southern kingdom as a dresser of sycamores.
Off with you visionary – is not so much a cry against the religious in general, but is rather a legal claim against Amos for he was not one of the professional prophets that northern Israel had. He was, in fact, from the rival Judah … without a license.

How insulted Amos must have been … to be mistaken for a paid fortune teller of the north.

In the Psalms, I think I heard the words “my justice”. I thought of Joseph – whom scripture calls a “just” man. I also reflected how this isn’t a legal justice – but rather, it is a gift from God which allows us to do his will. One is truly just, and owns the justice, because they act justly – and the ability to act justly comes by gift of God. Just as Joseph chose not to divorce Mary on account of God giving him a message about what was Justice.

As to your comments on healing – I do not believe that someone who drove out demons would necessarily make the news. That is, even if it did – it would be written about as a staged event regardless of the actions of God. How many supposed cures have televangelists done – which I would tend to believe were faked or the mental overload / perhaps depression in the one “cured”.

Then again, how many believes in the existence of demons to know who is possessed?

Nothing is new under the sun – Amos was rejected as a fake just as many are today – and just as the Apostles surely were on the gospel journey – two by two.

The priest at my parish painted a bit of a word picture; as he said in dry humor – what did sin ever get us but clothes. He then pointed out the stripped figure of Jesus on the cross and said, clothes must not prevent us from being with God.

I also recalled how the priests in the old testament were warned by God to wear linen garments so that their “nakedness” would not stir his wrath as they ascended to the altar.

 

[cheeto1]

Remember? Judah is the north, Israel is the south. Amos was from a place called Tekoa, in Judah. He went to Bethel, in Israel, the south. But they don’t want to hear his gloom and doom prophesies. Yes I agree he was insulted by being called a phony, and I think he was polite considering that…

Great observation from “justice” in the psalm, that Joseph knew justice by a message
from God. So justice, like kindness comes from God.

I love what your priest said
“The priest at my parish painted a bit of a word picture; as he said in dry humor – what did sin ever get us but clothes. He then pointed out the stripped figure of Jesus on the cross and said, clothes must not prevent us from being with God”
I love it, but does it relate to the readings today?

p.s. - have you been in the snow at mt. st. helen’s in july?

 

[Huiou_Theou]

Remember?

I do have serious memory problems – from anxiety – but I just looked at a map and Judea and Judah are marked together near beer-sheba and Jerusalem – king David’s stronghold from the tribe of Judah – and whose son presumably ruled judea…

Do you have a link I can look at with the other arrangement ?

“The priest at my parish painted a bit of a word picture; as he said in dry humor – what did sin ever get us but clothes. He then pointed out the stripped figure of Jesus on the cross and said, clothes must not prevent us from being with God”
I love it, but does it relate to the readings today?

Well, they were not to take a second TUNIC, money, etc, etc, etc, – so yes – i would give it a passing grade. Things of convenience, status, comfort – eg: money, a second TUNIC, etc. can get in the way of God’s plan. They can also greatly slow a person down.

I suppose loin-clothes and sandals are permitted because they don’t slow one down whether swimming, walking, or dying on a cross…

p.s. - have you been in the snow at mt. st. helen’s in july?

Do ashes count? they sort of fall like snow…

 

[cheeto1]

I do have serious memory problems – from anxiety –
Do you have a link I can look at with the other arrangement ?

It looks like I am the one with memory problems – I’ve read the whole bible one time
and I think I know everything… I looked at the maps in the back of the bible and
sure enough, Judah was in the south all this time and I always thought it was the
north. Just call me Dan Quale! (potatoe…) (do you remember that?)

“…they don’t slow one down whether swimming, walking, or dying on a cross… ”
funny!

No, the ashes don’t count. I visited Mt. St. Helen’s last July, and the snow was
shoveled as high as our heads! Just outside that parking lot, the snow on the
ground was up to our knees. I couldn’t believe it, as a kid, I wished it would snow
in July, and now here it was! You mean it’s not like that every year?
I know I’m way off topic by now, but were you there when it erupted?

 

[Huiou_Theou]

It looks like I am the one with memory problems – I’ve read the whole bible one time
and I think I know everything… I looked at the maps in the back of the bible and
sure enough, Judah was in the south all this time and I always thought it was the
north. Just call me Dan Quale! (potatoe…) (do you remember that?)

yes … & I’m relieved it isn’t me for once… (Search for Qua near the bottom)
forums.catholic-questions.org/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3528336

I know I’m way off topic by now, but were you there when it erupted?

No, I was on the other side of the US at that point; BUT If you get near the cinder cone, which is slowly building, sometimes she belches smoke and a bit of ash.
I have seen snow in spring / summer … though I can’t remember if it was July at that point. It is pretty amazing…

So, what do you think about the traveling two by two – not alone, but meant to be able to run fast. Was there something to be scared of?
I have heard that the rule of Israel was to show hospitality to strangers; so that one would expect they could easily stay at houses of those who followed Moses’ instructions. I sometimes think that shaking the dust off ones footwear might just mean a hasty retreat…

 

[cheeto1]

Wow, thanks for the free college education, but mostly it was over my head…
This part was really interesting though:
"in fact many anti-biotics are just that — food that a bactera can eat, but not digest. "
I saw the Dan Quayle part too… I feel sorry that people have to worry about spelling
errors so much, it’s not worth it…

“So, what do you think about the traveling two by two – not alone, but meant to be able to run fast. Was there something to be scared of?
I have heard that the rule of Israel was to show hospitality to strangers; so that one would expect they could easily stay at houses of those who followed Moses’ instructions. I sometimes think that shaking the dust off ones footwear might just mean a hasty retreat…”

Good question. There was a lot to be scared of. The people of Jesus’ own hometown
tried to throw Him off a cliff! I don’t think anyone driven to that kind of behavior would
follow hospitality to strangers rules…
Can’t you imagine how exciting this would have been?
You and your best buddy, leave early in the morning, knock on the first door, then
what? I wonder if the last 2 apostles to be paired up didn’t really want that partner?
And how is it that they all came back to Jesus at once, when they were all in
different towns?

 

[Huiou_Theou]

Wow, thanks for the free college education, but mostly it was over my head…
This part was really interesting though:
"in fact many anti-biotics are just that — food that a bactera can eat, but not digest. "
I saw the Dan Quayle part too… I feel sorry that people have to worry about spelling
errors so much, it’s not worth it…

“So, what do you think about the traveling two by two – not alone, but meant to be able to run fast. Was there something to be scared of?
I have heard that the rule of Israel was to show hospitality to strangers; so that one would expect they could easily stay at houses of those who followed Moses’ instructions. I sometimes think that shaking the dust off ones footwear might just mean a hasty retreat…”

Good question. There was a lot to be scared of. The people of Jesus’ own hometown
tried to throw Him off a cliff! I don’t think anyone driven to that kind of behavior would
follow hospitality to strangers rules…
Can’t you imagine how exciting this would have been?
You and your best buddy, leave early in the morning, knock on the first door, then
what? I wonder if the last 2 apostles to be paired up didn’t really want that partner?
And how is it that they all came back to Jesus at once, when they were all in
different towns?

Yeah – something like: we’re Jesus’ witnesses… peace… do you have food and a place for us to stay for a short while.

Well, looking at the list of Apostles in scripture – Judas Iscariot is always last; and supposedly he had bad table manners. (Scott Hahn?) There’s another Judas, too – but he goes by a different name in the other list… I wonder why Jesus picked two Judas’ ?