Today's Readings 8/31/09

[JAGCath28]

From the USCCB (NAB)

Today’s Readings

I had a few thoughts/questions for each reading.

1 Th. 4: 13-16

Paul is affirming or re-affirming that the dead in Christ will rise first, and then in the end days those who are still alive WILL NOT precede those who have died. So, here is my question. What does it mean by “rising”? Does it mean that those who are in purgatory will be released to Heaven? We believe in purgatory when we die so that means that our souls aren’t just sitting asleep in our graves or wherever we end up on this earth, so it isn’t our soul rising from the graves. Some say it is our body that is being renewed. So, my next question would be regarding Mary’s assumption. Her body and soul was taken into Heaven. If that is the case, when do our bodies join our soul in Heaven? Is it at the end times, and is it the body that Paul is referring to with regards to rising first?

Psalm 96

Is this Psalm written by David? Just curious, but the answer doesn’t really affect my overall question. The last part of verse 10 really struck me.

God rules the peoples with fairness.

This was written in the Old Testament where most modern people refer to God as “Angry God.” But this whole Psalm is praising God for his justice and fairness. So, how is it that the sins that were judged to be wrong back then, many no longer deem applicable now (not to start a war, but…homosexuality is an example)? God doesn’t change so how could His fairness and justice change? I look at Christ’s death on the cross and His teachings as no different than what the Israelites were supposed to be following in the Old Testament. But many people will say that there was Angry God in the Old Testament and Loving God (thanks to Christ) in the New Testament. I think He is One and the Same!

Luke 4: 16-30

I was curious about what Christ was trying to say or what we were supposed to glean from this encounter in Nazareth. He’s in His hometown of Nazareth. Probably relatives, family friends, and childhood playmates were among those gathered to hear Him. So, He reads the prophesy from Isaiah and tells them it was fulfilled in their presence. They recognize Him, and verse 22 even says they spoke highly of Him. But then, He begins to say IMO *Elijah and Elisha were in certain locations only to save one person. * Then the crowd got angry. It sounded to me like Jesus was saying that Just like Elijah and Elisha, I’m not necessarily here for you. Even though He didn’t speak those words, what else could He have meant? Why bring that specifc point up about Elijah and Elisha, and why would the crowd be so upset?

Peace and love,

Jessica

 

[scpb2277]

I was curious about what Christ was trying to say or what we were supposed to glean from this encounter in Nazareth. He’s in His hometown of Nazareth. Probably relatives, family friends, and childhood playmates were among those gathered to hear Him. So, He reads the prophesy from Isaiah and tells them it was fulfilled in their presence. They recognize Him, and verse 22 even says they spoke highly of Him. But then, He begins to say IMO *Elijah and Elisha were in certain locations only to save one person. * Then the crowd got angry. It sounded to me like Jesus was saying that Just like Elijah and Elisha, I’m not necessarily here for you. Even though He didn’t speak those words, what else could He have meant? Why bring that specifc point up about Elijah and Elisha, and why would the crowd be so upset?

Peace and love,

Jessica

i have that same question as well. the crowd was testing him to an extent but i don’t think that would have shocked Christ. and for Jesus to come back with the Elijah and Elisha examples just seems harsh.

anyone have a good explanation?

thanks for posting this btw!

 

[cheeto1]

I LOVE your questions.

I think the first reading means that that is when we will get new bodies, that will be
joined with our soul “in the air”. I don’t think it means our same dead bodies,
despite Mary’ assumption, because what about a fire or something like 9/11 where
bodies were totally disintegrated and gone? Or let’s say someone had severe
handicaps, why would they rise to spend eternity like that? Some other place,
probably right near here, it says that we don’t know what our bodies will be like,
any more than we know what a plant will look like only by seeing a seed. Our
body here is like the seed. This really is what I think, yet I do wonder how Mary’s
assumption and Jesus risen with His nail marks fits in with this theory.

The psalm probably is by David since its similar to another part in 1Chronicles…
“He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy”
– This is exactly what struck me about the psalm today.
When will He rule the world with justice? Because right now, He’s ruling
with mercy. Mercy for the guilty, while the innocent continue to suffer…

I love what you said about the gospel:
Just like Elijah and Elisha, I’m not necessarily here for you
– I agree, I think that’s exactly what He meant. Oh He was here for them, all right.
But He was not necessarily there to heal them. That was reserved for people of
faith. God can find if there’s a person of faith, even if they’ve never been to
church or heard of Jesus, because He can see us inside. I think if there had
been a person of faith in that small crowd, then instead of trying to kill Him, they
might have asked, “what must we do to do the work of God?” like the crowd
asked after they had just been miraculously fed with fish and bread. Good thing
God sent Him to Capernaum before this. Imagine how He would feel if this was
His only experience so far? I wonder how we would feel if the grocer’s son came
to our church and said that in his travels he found more faith in Haiti where it’s over
90% voodoo than he found here in our church? And then told us examples of
how God was healing there, but not here? And that none of the people healed
were Catholics? Wouldn’t some holy people in the church feel insulted? They
didn’t know Jesus was God back then.

 

[distracted]

From the USCCB (NAB)

Today’s Readings

I had a few thoughts/questions for each reading.

1 Th. 4: 13-16

Paul is affirming or re-affirming that the dead in Christ will rise first, and then in the end days those who are still alive WILL NOT precede those who have died. So, here is my question. What does it mean by “rising”? Does it mean that those who are in purgatory will be released to Heaven? We believe in purgatory when we die so that means that our souls aren’t just sitting asleep in our graves or wherever we end up on this earth, so it isn’t our soul rising from the graves. Some say it is our body that is being renewed. So, my next question would be regarding Mary’s assumption. Her body and soul was taken into Heaven. If that is the case, when do our bodies join our soul in Heaven? Is it at the end times, and is it the body that Paul is referring to with regards to rising first?

Psalm 96

Is this Psalm written by David? Just curious, but the answer doesn’t really affect my overall question. The last part of verse 10 really struck me.

This was written in the Old Testament where most modern people refer to God as “Angry God.” But this whole Psalm is praising God for his justice and fairness. So, how is it that the sins that were judged to be wrong back then, many no longer deem applicable now (not to start a war, but…homosexuality is an example)? God doesn’t change so how could His fairness and justice change? I look at Christ’s death on the cross and His teachings as no different than what the Israelites were supposed to be following in the Old Testament. But many people will say that there was Angry God in the Old Testament and Loving God (thanks to Christ) in the New Testament. I think He is One and the Same!

Luke 4: 16-30

I was curious about what Christ was trying to say or what we were supposed to glean from this encounter in Nazareth. He’s in His hometown of Nazareth. Probably relatives, family friends, and childhood playmates were among those gathered to hear Him. So, He reads the prophesy from Isaiah and tells them it was fulfilled in their presence. They recognize Him, and verse 22 even says they spoke highly of Him. But then, He begins to say IMO *Elijah and Elisha were in certain locations only to save one person. * Then the crowd got angry. It sounded to me like Jesus was saying that Just like Elijah and Elisha, I’m not necessarily here for you. Even though He didn’t speak those words, what else could He have meant? Why bring that specifc point up about Elijah and Elisha, and why would the crowd be so upset?

Peace and love,

Jessica

its always fascinated me how 2 people can read a psg and get entirely differnet takes on it… That’s not necessarily wrong… because, of course, we are all fallible humans…

what i got was that no one pays attention to a prophet (one who speaks for God, that is) who is from their own geographical area… because they “know” him… (think they know him) and so, well, they know his “faults” (Jesus didn’t have any but sometimes people just have to believe that others have faults, the “faults” they perceive them to have… so even if they don’t really see much, they have to invent them, etc …).

If someone you knew suddenly started spouting off things that sounded very holy and like they were from God… you would not necessarily SEE them as such… You (not so much you because you probably love Jesus more than the avg person??? but YOU generically speaking) might see them as the rantings of someone who was just “in a mood” or
“having a bad hair day” or whatever… because, again… you (generic YOU) know this person (think you do) and you judge him by the behavior you have seen thus far in his life…

 

[JAGCath28]

When I was reading the Gospel for 9/1 today I thought about the 8/31 readings. I didn’t realize it until this morning, but this is at the very beginning of His ministry. The previous chapter was His temptation in the desert, and now He’s back home.

Distracted, I agree with you. It is difficult to be a witness to those closest to you. I find that to be the hardest part of my walk. I sometimes find it even harder with the Catholics in my life than the non-Catholics. So, on the surface, I totally understand what you are saying regarding Jesus’ experience in His home town. But yesterday, when I read those verses, I wondered what made Him say what He said.

This verse struck me,

And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”

From this, I don’t see any animocity at all. So, that is why I was curious. It’s like He just went off on them. They didn’t chase Him out of town until AFTER He made the comments about Elijah and Elisha. Maybe these were the same people that were going to be among those who cry “Crucify Him.” It is interesting to think about.

 

[distracted]

When I was reading the Gospel for 9/1 today I thought about the 8/31 readings. I didn’t realize it until this morning, but this is at the very beginning of His ministry. The previous chapter was His temptation in the desert, and now He’s back home.

Distracted, I agree with you. It is difficult to be a witness to those closest to you. I find that to be the hardest part of my walk. I sometimes find it even harder with the Catholics in my life than the non-Catholics. So, on the surface, I totally understand what you are saying regarding Jesus’ experience in His home town. But yesterday, when I read those verses, I wondered what made Him say what He said.

This verse struck me,

From this, I don’t see any animocity at all. So, that is why I was curious. It’s like He just went off on them. They didn’t chase Him out of town until AFTER He made the comments about Elijah and Elisha. Maybe these were the same people that were going to be among those who cry “Crucify Him.” It is interesting to think about.

thanks for the empathy…

i can’t figure out why the comments He made about not being appreciated in his own area… would send them into a frenzy… & want to kill him but people have been killing ea other from the beginning… Cain… Fr Revolution… Hitler, Stalin… Tiller… What is wrong with us humans ? Oh, that’s right, we’re rotten to the core w/o Jesus… Even WITH Jesus we aren’t too great… but then most pepole aren’t as “with” him as they tend to think… self included…

anyway… just goes to show that pepole only love those who don’t challenge them to live right…

Michael Jackson, for instance…