Life
Life is a seminar, and lifelong learners get more out of life. What lessons will you learn today? Who will your teachers be? You never know. Just be open to learning from everyone and every experience.
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Thinking Influences Performance
One of the better-known quotes is, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are probably right.” For a long time, it’s been accepted that your attitude plays a significant role in your success. Documented studies time after time have proved that attitudes are more important than facts and that it’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude. Fortunately, attitude is one of those things that can be substantially influenced and controlled.
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Not a Man Will Follow You
History records that in the first part of the 15th century, a young French peasant girl, Joan of Arc, was called to save her country from its enemies. There was something about her that endeared her to her followers and caused them to have a respect — almost a reverence, an awe — for what she was attempting to do. Her sacred sword, her consecrated banner and her belief in her mission helped her to sweep away the armies that were before her.
It has been said, and rightly so, that courage is transferable and that if a leader has a sense of mission and purpose and an absolute conviction in what can be accomplished, people gather around and follow this leader. This conviction was demonstrated by the courage displayed by Joan of Arc. She sent a thrill of enthusiasm through the French army and gave them the courage and confidence that a king, a statesman and a president could not produce.
However, she, like all other leaders, had her share of cynics and skeptics. On one occasion, she said to one of her generals, “I will lead the men over the wall.”
The general said, “Not a man will follow you.”
At that point, Joan of Arc did what leaders with a mission and a conviction always do. She replied, “I won’t be looking back to see whether they’re following me.”
Yes, commitment and courage were on display, and those are two qualities that will win many battles and enable you to accomplish worthwhile objectives. Think along those lines, develop those qualities, and you will grow!
Zig Ziglar
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John 7:40-53
G O S P E L
It is always possible to twist words around and make them support a particular argument as long as it is not too far-fetched. It seems that the leaders of Israel in Jesus’ time were quite good at this. The Pharisees were capable of coming up with Scripture texts to support erroneous conclusions. It is important that we submit our understanding of the Scriptures to the Magisterium of the Church so that we can avoid this sort of error.
John 7:40-53
40 Some in the crowd who heard these words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? 42 Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.
my reflections
think:It’s best to leave the judgment and vengeance to God.
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Jeremiah 11:18-20
Jeremiah recognizes that he has many earthly enemies who are scheming against him. What he does, admittedly after much complaining, is put his trust in God. He leaves it to God to vindicate him. One of the big mistakes people often make is that they seek to bring about their own vindication. Often, this takes the form of seeking revenge for wrongs done to them. This will only make the problem worse. It’s best to leave the judgment and vengeance to God.
Jeremiah 11:18-20
18 I knew it because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. 19 Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will not be spoken no more.” 20 “But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!”
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the perennial Question of sufferinG
The problem of suffering is as old as human thought. It does not take a very smart person to realize that there is something very mysterious and inexplicable why good people suffer. Perhaps it is not so much a matter of understanding why the good suffer, but working out what our individual responses to suffering will be. If you happen to be a bad person, then this is not such a big question.
Jesus is the greatest person ever to walk the earth and He suffered terribly at the hands of men. It is to His response that we will look for the basis of our own responses as His followers. Jesus, the Son of God, is without sin so there is no way we can attribute any of His suffering to any fault of His own. It thus seems that suffering has at least two sources — from ourselves and others. It is the second source that impinges upon thelife of the good person. We become aware very quickly of the fact that sin is fundamentally evil and unjust. Being unjust, sin inflicts evil consequences upon the innocent. We don’t know why this happens – only that it does and all we can do is respond to it as best we can with the grace of God available to us at the moment.
Colossians 2:4 tells us that our suffering can become redemptive in nature if we unite our trials with those of Christ. Here lies at least part of the Christian answer to suffering. The saints give witness to the desire to suffer because in suffering, they experience God conforming them to Himself. This is our ultimate goal – to become one with the Trinity. Let us not despair but strive to see in any suffering the opportunity to become more like Christ, and to contribute something of ourselves to His work of redemption. Fr. Steve Tynan
Reflection Question:
Do I always complain about my personal suffering? Did Jesus ever complain about His?
Lord Jesus, help me to grow to become more like You each day. Grant me the grace to embrace any suffering in my life, and to use it as an offering to You so that I can be conformed to Your image.
St. John of God, religious, pray for us.
adapted:Kyregma
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A MERE REFLECTiON
“No one ever spoke like this man.” – John 7:46
In 1998, I went to Rome for the canonization of St. Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. St. Peter’s Square was abuzz with excitement. People of different nationalities milled around, smiling and chatting with new friends. Hearing people speak in various languages was a crowning moment for me.
Amidst the noise and the babble, the announcement came that Pope John Paul II was going to appear in the window to address the crowd. A cacophony of oh’s and ah’s rose to the sky, then slowly came back to earth as it dwindled to silence. The mellifluous voice of the Pope began, speaking of the great love of God above for His people below. His voice had magic, his charisma was overwhelming, his message was overpowering.
No one ever spoke like this man. For sure, his magnetism was a mere reflection of Jesus’. And while he spoke with no fiery speeches or oratorical flare, the truth on his lips made him a powerful speaker.
How about you? Chelle Crisanto
REFLECTION:
When you speak, do people listen?
Lord, use me to speak Your words of truth.
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John 5:31-47
G O S P E L READING
Jesus has a witness, and a well-known one at that, in John the Baptist who conforms to His identity and preaching. Many of those who reject Jesus also reject John but I am sure his appeal would have helped some come to faith in Him. Besides, Jesus’ life and actions have the ability to speak for themselves. When I read the Gospel records of His life and ministry I find it difficult to understand why people did not believe in Him. But then hindsight and 2,000 years of further evidence has helped me as well.
John 5:31-47
31 “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. 32 But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. 33 You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37 Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. 40 But you do not want to come to me to have life. 41 I do not accept human praise; 42 moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
my reflections
think: Does the witness of your life help others to come to Jesus?
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Exodus 32:7-14
It is amazing to think that the same people who have been miraculously freed from the hands of the Egyptians could so quickly revert to the making of an idol. Yes, travelling through the desert may not be an enjoyable experience but is it that bad as to force you to forsake the One who has delivered you from slavery? Before we answer, let us look at our own struggles with sin and see what that says regarding our acceptance or rejection of the saving love of God that He poured out for us on the cross.
Exodus 32:7-14
7 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. 8 They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshipping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ 9 I see how stiffnecked this people is,” continued the LORD to Moses. 10 “Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the earth’? Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’ ” 14 So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.
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the Modern Crisis of truth
There is a lot of talk in newspapers and among leaders about the problems that face humanity. There are concerns about the environment, about poverty, war, hunger, disease and many others. Though these are all pressing and immediate problems, I believe there is a greater problem that lies at the root of all these problems. There is a moral crisis in the hearts and minds of the people of the world that can be traced back to a crisis of truth. The question Pilate puts to Jesus towards the end of His earthly life is a very modern question: What is truth? Do you have an answer to this question?
The tendency in modern society is to allow each individual to determine what is true for him or her. This may sound okay but it is actually the root of Original Sin – Adam and Eve chose not to be determined by the truth of God, and sought to become arbiters of the truth in their own right. The secularist agenda of today’s modern democracies is often based on the desire to put aside any absolute understanding of truth that is based on faith and to reform the understanding of the human person according to a non-biased philosophy of humanity. There is no such thing as the selfsubsisting human person. We are reliant upon God for our existence for without Him we would not be at all.
It is this truth that is behind Pope Benedict’s criticism of the European Union’s Charter. They have forgotten that the European civilization is built upon a Christian understanding of the human person. If they will not recognize this they are living a lie and any reforms they try to make will ultimately cause the disintegration of that society. Let us embrace the truth of who we are. The truth liberates us from the lies of sin. Truth leads us to the fulfillment of the human person. Truth has power based on the character of God, Jesus who once said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Listen to Him and heed His words. Fr. Steve Tynan
Reflection Questions:
What place does truth play in my life? Do I have an absolute respect for truth? If not, how can I grow in this aspect of my life?
Father, You sent us Jesus to reveal to us the truth of His love. Help me to listen to His revelation and follow the path He sets before me.
St. Collette, virgin, pray for us.
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