So let's talk about today's readings 8/11/09

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"He will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
– I just hold onto this part and I try not to read this part:
“The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed, and with their country.”
–Should the Lord be with me as with the Israelites, or deal with me as with
everyone else? In my life, He does both, but not to the extent of the Israelites,
or, thankfully, their enemies…
 
You should look at the gospel as well. I love it when Jesus tells us to be like children and be humble. All of these readings are discussing to not be afraid, the Lord will protect us, and stay with us.
 
I agree with kristanl. The readings are grouped for a reason (sometimes I can’t figure out why…) but the Lord wants us to trust in Him, to live in Him and his teachings. The NT shows the extent of Divine Mercy, so I would doubt that He deals with you as “everyone else” as described in the OT.
 
Here’s what my archdiocese’s vocation director blogs about today’s reading:

frburke23.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/thought-for-tuesday-19th-week-of-ordinary-time/

*Why does Jesus say it is so important to be like little children? We certainly can’t go back in time and become younger. I think Jesus is talking about the characteristics of children that allow us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Children are innocent and pure. Children are born into this world as innocent human beings. They are pure. Sometimes as we grow older and experience the hardships of life, we become hardened or cynical. We lose our sense of beauty and wonder as we see the worst of people at times.

Children are so trustworthy, until another human being teaches them not to be trustworthy. For example, I remember my Mom trying to teach us not to be afraid of the water. She would stand in the pool and call me to jump in. I had no problem jumping in because she would catch me every time. I trusted my Mother implicitly and learned that I could lean on her with anything. The same is true with God. I learned God’s unconditional love through my Mother.*

There’s more at the link.
 
kristanl said:
You should look at the gospel as well.
Click to expand...
Yes! That’s right, I am going to look at everything, thank you for answering
kristan and sheeniac… I got interrupted today…

"So do not fear or be dismayed.” These words from the first reading in a way are
echoed in the gospel when we are told that we must be like children. And in the
psalm, these words:

“Ask your father and he will inform you, ask your elders and they will tell you”
– Ask them, as a child.
and this: “the number of the sons of Israel”
– sons, they are children of Israel.

I want to take a little detour in the psalm because this line struck me today:
"The portion of the Lord is his people"
**-- **It means His share, or inheritance. I really don’t get it.
But Jesus did die, and “inherited” the love of many…

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father"
– And now my mind goes from becoming like little children, on to the subject
of guardian angels. We don’t know, these little ones may have more than
one or even several guardian angels. But do they have them their whole life?
Can anything make one lose their guardian angel(s)? Did Judas, and Hitler
have guardian angels? I have also wondered how big or little a guardian angel
may be. Could it be as little as a fingernail, or bigger than the house?
It’s funny how many children imagine things to be scared of, like monsters
under the bed, etc., that aren’t even real, but how many imagine their guardian
angel, that is real?

I have never understood how that shepherd could leave the 99 unprotected.
I would be afraid to go after the lost one, because I wouldn’t want anything to
happen to the 99! What if they were all gone when I came back? Even if say,
only 2 were gone, it would be very upsetting! We would all have to go together.
Well, I guess that’s just the way it is now. The innocent all have to wait in danger
while God tries to save every last one of us! Can we all stay together until He
gets back?

Today is the day of St. Clare, imitator of St. Francis, and founder of the
“poor Clares”.

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:
 
I think you might be reading things a little too closely. When reading the verse, I try to get the general point, not go line by line and interpret. Christ spoke in parables to help understanding.

Take for example, the 99 vs 1. You are reading too literally … Perhaps a better parable would be about a mother with 5 kids, one of whom was sick. She would focus her time and efforts into nursing the sick child, leaving the other 4 to their routines. Does this mean the other 4 would be running the neighborhood without shoes or coats? No.

The parable of the 99 means a lot to me as a former Prodigal Daughter. I was at a Catholics Returning Home meeting when one woman commented on Heaven rejoicing more for the one returning home. She, an older faithful Catholic, said that in a way, it made her a little jealous and that she almost wished that she had strayed and returned.

But, it’s just a matter of perspective! My position was that as an atheist for 25 years, I was in serious danger of Eternal Damnation and never knew it. Once you come back, you turn around in shock and horror. Then you come back, and drop to your knees in thanksgiving.

So she was never in any danger when the Holy Spirit went out to drag me Home.
 
Sheeniac said:
I think you might be reading things a little too closely.

My position was that as an atheist for 25 years…

So she was never in any danger when the Holy Spirit went out to drag me Home.
Click to expand...
Can you see now that not only you yourself are safely home, but the rest of us are
now safer too?

I also had a time in my life that I thought that God wasn’t real. I can see how because
of this, I put others who knew me in very real danger. Sometimes people listen to you!
 
cheeto1 said:
Today is the day of St. Clare, imitator of St. Francis, and founder of the
“poor Clares”.

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:
Click to expand...
Your talk about the sheep.
Note how the passage starts with who is the greatest, then it goes to children, but then it goes to lost children.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
Click to expand...
The greatest is like unto a lost child; one were not to despise, but to bring home.
This Jesus was saying to his apostles! Those who would shepherd in his name after he ascended. It is such an inversion of thought…

Peace, cheetoh – I enjoyed your thoughts.
–Andrew.
 
Sheeniac said:
Here’s what my archdiocese’s vocation director blogs about today’s reading:

frburke23.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/thought-for-tuesday-19th-week-of-ordinary-time/

*Why does Jesus say it is so important to be like little children? We certainly can’t go back in time and become younger. I think Jesus is talking about the characteristics of children that allow us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Children are innocent and pure. Children are born into this world as innocent human beings. They are pure. Sometimes as we grow older and experience the hardships of life, we become hardened or cynical. We lose our sense of beauty and wonder as we see the worst of people at times.

Children are so trustworthy, until another human being teaches them not to be trustworthy. For example, I remember my Mom trying to teach us not to be afraid of the water. She would stand in the pool and call me to jump in. I had no problem jumping in because she would catch me every time. I trusted my Mother implicitly and learned that I could lean on her with anything. The same is true with God. I learned God’s unconditional love through my Mother.*

There’s more at the link.
Click to expand...
I would agree to everything here but I would like to add one thing that most seem to forget is that being a child or more appropriately behaving with a child’s heart and eyes before God Almighty entails one virtue that takes a lifetime to practice. Namely maintaining an inner composure of great (“humility”).
It is the key to all of God’s mysteries and graces
 
cheeto1 said:
I can see how because
of this, I put others who knew me in very real danger. Sometimes people listen to you!
Click to expand...
Where you there was I was doing my first confession after coming home?!?

The priest and I had spoken for about an hour or so before I we did the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I thought we had gone over everything in some detail, however, while confessing the above hit me and I felt it was the worst of my sins. The realization of the above felt like a kick in the stomach. I felt actual physical discomfort.
 
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