So let's talk about today's readings 8/13/09

[cheeto1]

usccb.org/nab/081309.shtml

In today’s first reading, God shows the Israelites that Joshua is their new leader by
parting the Jordan river like He had parted the Red Sea for Moses. I hope we don’t
have to read from Joshua again tomorrow, it’s scary!

“The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like the lambs of the flock”
–What does this part of today’s psalm mean? In the next paragraph, the psalmist
repeats this, and asks “why”?

“Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart”
– How can being tortured make money appear in the man’s pocket to repay his debt?
How can hell make a person repent? It can’t.
This reading is enough to make us forgive every last person, whether we think
we can, or not.

Today is the day of Pope Pontian, and Hippolytus, who once said he was Pope
too, but changed his mind.

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

 

[Beachcomber]

I think that the Gospel is telling us that God’s mercy is so infinite and that He forgives us so much, we are to do likewise. It’s selfish of us to not forgive another in the light of the sins we carry and that God has forgiven us.

I think Jesus is giving a standard to be aspired to. If one reads the Gospels from an ‘end of the world’ perspective, these are the standards that we should try and live by and thereby bring the Kingdom of God. At one place Jesus says, the Kingdom of God is within us. I always thought that by trying to live by Gospel standards, we can glimpse a little of what the Kingdom will be.

Am I making any sense?

 

[cheeto1]

Am I making any sense?

Making sense? You are right on!
Did today’s readings make you think of that line “the kindom of God is among us”?
We Must be able to do just what you are saying, or why would we say
“thy kingdom come
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven”