Gospel, Readings and Reflection 7th August 2022
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 117
Reading 1
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading 2
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
Alleluia
Stay awake and be ready!
For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”REFLECTION:-This short statement from Jesus reveals three things to us.
First of all, we hear Jesus offer the familiar reminder that we ought not allow fear to take hold of our lives. There are so many things in life that can have the effect of causing fear, worry, anxiety and the like. Overcoming fear is a matter of humility, in that humility enables us to turn our eyes from ourselves and the problems we face and to put our eyes upon our Lord. When we put our eyes on Him, fear dissipates and trust takes its place.
Second, this is also a very tender statement from Jesus in that He calls His disciples, and all of us, His “little flock.” This is a term of endearment and reveals our Lord’s gentle and compassionate heart. This term of endearment reveals not only that we belong to Jesus, it also reveals how His love for us is intimate and heartfelt. If we understand this love of His we will be compelled to love Him back with the same depth of intimacy.
Lastly, this line points us to the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven. The Father, whom we must trust and with whom we must have an intimate relationship, invites us to share in His most glorious Kingdom. His Kingdom becomes ours, and when we can see and understand how glorious this calling is, we will be filled with hope and excitement as we seek to obtain it.
Reflect, today, upon the heartfelt invitation of our compassionate Lord Jesus to put your eyes upon His Kingdom. As you do so, allow this revelation to cast out fear from your life, strengthening you to overcome that burden. Put your trust in God and allow Him to transform you.
Prayer:-
My Divine Shepherd, I accept Your invitation to put my trust in You. Please free me from the many fears that I am tempted with in life. Help me to have confidence in You and Your grace as I seek to put my eyes on the glory of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.
From Catholic daily reflections.com
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