Mass Reading & Meditation for June 10, 2013 + Saint of the Day Blessed Joachima Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 12 COR1:1-7 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the Church of God that is at Corinth, with all the holy ones throughout Achaia: grMace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow. If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement. Responsorial PsalmPS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. GospelMT 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Meditation: 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 10th Week in Ordinary Time “Blessed be … the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement.” (2 Corinthians 1:3) Have you ever noticed the distress of a little child who has fallen down and scraped his knee? The tears come almost immediately, along with cries of fear and pain. Sometimes the child will stay hunched over the wound, immobile, until his mom or dad carries him away. Yet when the child gets into those big comforting arms, the tears usually disappear. Even though the scraped knee is still painful and bleeding, the knowledge of being loved and held close makes the pain easier to tolerate. Today, let’s focus on that precious moment between the pain of the scraped knee and resting in those comforting arms. A recent study in Great Britain concluded that its citizens generally suffer more than 9,600 ailments over the course of a 78-year life span. And that’s not counting emotional or spiritual suffering. Now, there’s no indication that the British are more prone to illness than any other group of people. So it’s safe to assume that sickness and pain are a regular part of human life! The question becomes, then, how do we deal with suffering when it comes our way? Of course, our suffering is often much worse than just a scraped knee. Sometimes it brings us to our knees, breathless and begging for release. It’s in these times that we need to remember to yield, to lean back into our Father’s arms and let him comfort us. This isn’t always easy. For some reason, hardship tends to make us collapse in on ourselves rather than reach out for help. But it’s vital that we learn this skill. It’s vital that we become humble enough to let our heavenly Father pick us up and draw us into his warm embrace. Today’s psalm response gives us a similar lesson: “Look to God, that you may be radiant with joy” (Psalm 34:6). Radiant with joy? It’s so hard to rejoice when you’re in anguish! But this is our challenge: Look to the Lord! Let him carry you. Let him comfort you. If you do, you’ll actually find joy in the fact that his arms are lifting you up and calming your soul. “Father, help me to remember to call out to you. Thank you for promising always to comfort me and be with me!” Psalm 34:2-9; Matthew 5:1-12 Blessed Joachima (1783-1854) Born into an aristocratic family in Barcelona, Spain, Joachima was 12 when she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun. But her life took an altogether different turn at 16 with her marriage to a young lawyer, Theodore de Mas. Both deeply devout, they became secular Franciscans. During their 17 years of married life they raised eight children. The normalcy of their family life was interrupted when Napoleon invaded Spain. Joachima had to flee with the children; Theodore, remaining behind, died. Though Joachima reexperienced a desire to enter a religious community, she attended to her duties as a mother. At the same time, the young widow led a life of austerity and chose to wear the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis as her ordinary dress. She spent much time in prayer and visiting the sick. Four years later, with some of her children now married and younger ones under their care, Joachima confessed her desire to a priest to join a religious order. With his encouragement she established the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. In the midst of the fratricidal wars occurring at the time, Joachima was briefly imprisoned and, later, exiled to France for several years. Sickness ultimately compelled her to resign as superior of her order. Over the next four years she slowly succumbed to paralysis, which caused her to die by inches. At her death in 1854 at the age of 71, Joachima was known and admired for her high degree of prayer, deep trust in God and selfless charity. Comment: Joachima understands loss. She lost the home where her children grew up, her husband and, finally, her health. As the power to move and care for her own needs slowly ebbed away, this woman who had all her life cared for others became wholly dependent; she required help with life’s simplest tasks. When our own lives go spinning out of control, when illness and bereavement and financial hardship strike, all we can do is cling to the belief that sustained Joachima: God watches over us always. -- Have a Blessed Day
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:17:10 +0000
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