THE WORLD NEEDS HEROES “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” – Luke 4:21 There’s a big bridge in Nanjing, China, where in the past, over a thousand desperate Chinese have jumped off to their death. In 2004, Chen Si saw a man who threw his shoes into the river. One leg was already over the railing. He ran to him, grabbed him by the waist, and pushed him to the ground. And the man just cried. Chen learned that the man was a farmer who had brought his entire wheat harvest to the city, but a business partner stole all the proceeds from him. Without any money to give to his family, he simply wanted to die. Chen gave the man some money and told him to go home. Since then, Chen Si has spent his weekends driving up and down this bridge, rescuing people. In his heart, Chen Si said, “I must do something.” The result? So far, he has rescued 144 persons from death. Chen Si is a hero because he cares. If you look around you, there are many who are losing hope. You can be like Chen Si. All you have to do is care — and put that care into simple action. If you do that, you will be fulfilling what the Scripture demands of us: to love one another. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily) Reflection: How can you show someone that you care — today? Lord, help me to do the little good that I can for another person today. St. Giles, pray for us. 1ST READING The Gospel does not rely on us for its power, and thanks be to God for that! It has an inherent power due to the fact that it is the Word of God for our salvation. Paul knows that it is not the preacher’s job to give the Gospel its power, just a voice. The Holy Spirit will prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Gospel. The truth of the Gospel will speak for itself and then it is up to the individual to act upon the word as it is proclaimed. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. P S A L M Psalm 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 R: Lord, I love your commands. 97 How I love your law, O Lord! It is my meditation all the day. (R) 98 Your command has made me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. (R) 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers when your decrees are my meditation. (R) 100 I have more discernment than the elders, because I observe your precepts. (R) 101 From every evil way I withhold my feet, that I may keep your words. (R) 102 From your ordinances I turn not away, for you have instructed me. (R) GOSPEL Jesus places His ministry very clearly within the context of Messianic longing. This text from Isaiah is full of hope in the coming of the Messiah and all that the people believed would come with Him. We, too, need to have this hope in this time of the Second Coming of Jesus, by trusting in the present-day empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not shrink from the importance of His role; rather, He puts it front and center, so to speak. This is where the Gospel should be in our lives every day. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Luke 4:16-30 16 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read 17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” 20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 21 He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 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?” 23 He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’ ” 24 And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 25 Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. 26 It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went away. think: We need to have hope in this time of the Second Coming of Jesus — by trusting in the present-day empowerment of the Holy Spirit. T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: __________________ ____________________________________ God’s special verse/thought for me today_ _____________________________________ READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 36-40
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:47:45 +0000
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