Thu Mass readings (God is not amused that the Hebrews don't want to build His [physical] Church / Herod wants to meet Jesus)

[distracted]

September 24, 2009

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 452

Reading 1
Hg 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.

**Responsorial Psalm
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b **

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel
Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

God is not amused. He says: ***Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins? ***

*This is appropos of what is going on today: people take such good care of the homes they live in and neglect the House of God (the Church). They only go to Mass once in a while… but they love to be in their earthly houses doing God knows what… watching TV listening to R-rated music… indulging in gluttony … (I’m guilty of that last one at times… but I’m not fat so maybe not… )

So God wonders why they question whether or not they should build up the Lord’s house (or build it all, i guess) when they don’t ever stop to question the same thing concerning thier own houses… *

*hmmmm…

This reminds me of how nonCatholics always complain (OK, not all of them) that “God is not in a building”… as an excuse to not go to Church and/or not believe that Jesus is actually, tangibly THERE in the Catholic Church…

All through the Old Testament it speaks of building an actual physical church… and then Jesus speaks of it. “I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” *

 

[cheeto1]

“Consider your ways!”
– In my missal this was said as “reflect carefully how things have
gone for you” , so I have been doing that today

"Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. "
– And this one was said like this, “Let the praise of God be on their
lips: this honor is for all the faithful.”
Yes, it is an honor and a gift to be able to praise the Lord at all, ever.

"some were saying,“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
– didn’t anyone think He was someone new?

So, Jesus builds a “new testament church” with Peter as foundation.
But what about today? How can we continue to build the church?
It was easier in the Old Testament when all they had to do was build
a building. It’s harder to build what you can’t see.

 

[distracted]

"?
It was easier in the Old Testament when all they had to do was build
a building. It’s harder to build what you can’t see.

i don’t understand…

it wasn’t easier back then… God’s laws have never been all tht easy to follow…

althogh nowadays its probably harder than ever because… of the way the world is (virtual porn on TV, etc…)

its harder because when all you see … TV , movies, books, etc… is godless behavior, it is harder to be… godly yourself… not impossible, just somewhat more difficult…

and once you know Jesus really well… it is so much easier… but stll… those who aren’t too careful about what thye watch… can easily fall away from God’s ways… if only momentarily…

i loathe TV… never watch it.

 

[cheeto1]

i don’t understand…

it wasn’t easier back then… God’s laws have never been all tht easy to follow…

What I mean is, in that place of the Bible, all they had to do to build God’s
church was to “go out into the countryside and get some wood” and build it.
With wood. Now-a-days when we want to build God’s church, what do we do?

 

[distracted]

What I mean is, in that place of the Bible, all they had to do to build God’s
church was to “go out into the countryside and get some wood” and build it.
With wood. Now-a-days when we want to build God’s church, what do we do?

form a committee… get the higher ups to agree a church is needed… form another committee… hire contractors who hire subcontractors who hire sub-sub-contractors… form another committe…

and who knows what else…

 

[CHRISTINE77]

form a committee… get the higher ups to agree a church is needed… form another committee… hire contractors who hire subcontractors who hire sub-sub-contractors… form another committe…

and who knows what else…

No I think we would try to get others to become Catholic, to spread the message to others. That makes the church stronger and bigger.

One thing though, Distracted, many middle class people are more isolated from other people in these times, so their sins are more personal - against themselves (like the sins of gluttony, sloth and pornography, among others). I think they used to be more directed at others, more adultry, murder and anger. Now people tend to stay in their own spaces, instead of building communion with others. Not all people are like this, but a lot (myself included!).

I guess what I’m trying to say is we need to get truly involved with others to build God’s church.

 

[cheeto1]

No I think we would try to get others to become Catholic, to spread the message to others. That makes the church stronger and bigger.

I guess what I’m trying to say is we need to get truly involved with others to build God’s church.

A-Ha! You get it.

Now, how can we do that?

Distracted, you made me think of St. Francis