Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time: July 30-Aug. 5, 2006
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Authors
Alexander, Andy, S.J.
Issue Date
2006-07-30
Volume
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Type
Language
en_US
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Abstract
A sower went out to sow ... Whoever has ears ought to hear. - Matthew 13
The Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time|The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time begins several weeks of Sunday reflections on Chapter 6 of John's Gospel - on Jesus as the Bread of Life. (The cycle is interrupted in a week by the Solemnity of the Transfiguration.) This Sunday is the miracle of the five barley loaves and two fishes.|Monday is the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest. This is the 450th anniversary of his death. [Read about the Jubilee.] Tuesday is the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of Church . Friday is the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest.|The first readings this week continue to be from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah delivers God's messages about the laxity of the rulers. It is a powerful call to conversion for all of us today.|We continue to read from Matthew's Gospel this week, entering into sayings of Jesus about the Kingdom of God. God's reign is like mustard seeds and it is like yeast. It's coming and growth is small and slow, but it is assured. It may be compared to a field where an enemy sowed weeds among the good seed. Jesus acknowledges that the world is full of both the children of God, and also the children of the Evil One - mixed together. The righteous need not worry. It is God who will judge at the end of time. The Kingdom is like a buried treasure or a merchant's search for a really fine pearl. It is worth investing all we have in it. The Kingdom is like the dragnet used for fishing which gathers everything in it. It is at the end of time when God will gather all to separate the good from the evil. We hear that Jesus could not work miracles in his home town, because of their lack of faith in him. They thought they knew him and therefore took him for granted. Herod arrested John because John's preaching was bothering his conscience. He had John beheaded to honor a drunken promise to his niece and an oath to impress his guests.|Sunday is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The gospel is Mark's version of the Transfiguration. Jesus prepares Peter, James and John for the scandal of the cross.
Daily Prayer This Week|It can be an important week to give thanks for the priests and ministers among us who have responded to the call to serve. Saints Ignatius, Alphonsus Liguori and John Vianney are wonderful examples of priest servants. We might write a note to priests we know to thank them for their fidelity in service for us.|This is also a wonderful week to reflect and break open these parables about the Kingdom of God among us. Jesus must have been wanting to assure his disciples and followers who could have been vulnerable, like us, to being discouraged. Sometimes, we get confused or down about how it seems that evil wins out over good, that God's presence is so imperceptible that it tempts our faith in God's presence at all.|In the habit of reflecting in the midst of our daily lives that we have been practicing, we can spend several days noticing the growth and grace offered us - as powerful as yeast or as small as a tiny seed. This can change our spirits and give us more hope and trust. We can spend several days placing our trust in God in the midst of those days when it just seems like there are so many "weeks" standing the way of whatever good we try to do.|It would be great to spend a few days keeping our focus on the buried treasure being offered us - in this particular day or in my life in general. Am I willing to let go of of so many smaller rewards in order to embrace that treasure? What will it cost me? Where are my greatest resistances? We tend to do or give our energies to what we really want. How can we grow in our desire for what God wants to give us? We can ask for that grace a number of times this week.|We can also reflect on the people in our midst - in our homes, or family relations, in our faith community, in our association of friends - that can't do very much, because I think I know them too well.|Every evening we can continue our practice of returning thanks to God who has showered blessings upon us and we focus our background reflections this week.
The Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time|The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time begins several weeks of Sunday reflections on Chapter 6 of John's Gospel - on Jesus as the Bread of Life. (The cycle is interrupted in a week by the Solemnity of the Transfiguration.) This Sunday is the miracle of the five barley loaves and two fishes.|Monday is the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest. This is the 450th anniversary of his death. [Read about the Jubilee.] Tuesday is the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of Church . Friday is the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest.|The first readings this week continue to be from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah delivers God's messages about the laxity of the rulers. It is a powerful call to conversion for all of us today.|We continue to read from Matthew's Gospel this week, entering into sayings of Jesus about the Kingdom of God. God's reign is like mustard seeds and it is like yeast. It's coming and growth is small and slow, but it is assured. It may be compared to a field where an enemy sowed weeds among the good seed. Jesus acknowledges that the world is full of both the children of God, and also the children of the Evil One - mixed together. The righteous need not worry. It is God who will judge at the end of time. The Kingdom is like a buried treasure or a merchant's search for a really fine pearl. It is worth investing all we have in it. The Kingdom is like the dragnet used for fishing which gathers everything in it. It is at the end of time when God will gather all to separate the good from the evil. We hear that Jesus could not work miracles in his home town, because of their lack of faith in him. They thought they knew him and therefore took him for granted. Herod arrested John because John's preaching was bothering his conscience. He had John beheaded to honor a drunken promise to his niece and an oath to impress his guests.|Sunday is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The gospel is Mark's version of the Transfiguration. Jesus prepares Peter, James and John for the scandal of the cross.
Daily Prayer This Week|It can be an important week to give thanks for the priests and ministers among us who have responded to the call to serve. Saints Ignatius, Alphonsus Liguori and John Vianney are wonderful examples of priest servants. We might write a note to priests we know to thank them for their fidelity in service for us.|This is also a wonderful week to reflect and break open these parables about the Kingdom of God among us. Jesus must have been wanting to assure his disciples and followers who could have been vulnerable, like us, to being discouraged. Sometimes, we get confused or down about how it seems that evil wins out over good, that God's presence is so imperceptible that it tempts our faith in God's presence at all.|In the habit of reflecting in the midst of our daily lives that we have been practicing, we can spend several days noticing the growth and grace offered us - as powerful as yeast or as small as a tiny seed. This can change our spirits and give us more hope and trust. We can spend several days placing our trust in God in the midst of those days when it just seems like there are so many "weeks" standing the way of whatever good we try to do.|It would be great to spend a few days keeping our focus on the buried treasure being offered us - in this particular day or in my life in general. Am I willing to let go of of so many smaller rewards in order to embrace that treasure? What will it cost me? Where are my greatest resistances? We tend to do or give our energies to what we really want. How can we grow in our desire for what God wants to give us? We can ask for that grace a number of times this week.|We can also reflect on the people in our midst - in our homes, or family relations, in our faith community, in our association of friends - that can't do very much, because I think I know them too well.|Every evening we can continue our practice of returning thanks to God who has showered blessings upon us and we focus our background reflections this week.
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University Ministry, Creighton University.
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These prayer guides may not be sold or used commercially without permission. Personal or parish use is permitted.