November 10, 2014 First Reading Titus 1:1-9 1Paul, a servant of - TopicsExpress



          

November 10, 2014 First Reading Titus 1:1-9 1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of Gods elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness, 2in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago 3and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by command of God our Savior; 4To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, 6if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate. 7For a bishop, as Gods steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled;9he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it. ________________________________________ Responsorial Psalm Psalms 24:1-6 1The earth is the LORDs and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein; 2for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. 3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. 5He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation. 6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah] ________________________________________ Gospel Luke 17:1-6 1And he said to his disciples, Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, `I repent, you must forgive him. 5The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith! 6And the Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you. Reflection: Whats the driving force in your life? Jesus speaks of two forces at work in our lives - the power of the temptation to sin and cause harm and the power of faith to overcome obstacles and difficulties that stand in the way of loving God and our neighbor. The Greek word for temptation (scandalon) is the same as the English word scandal. The original meaning of scandal is a trap or a stumbling block which causes one to trip and fall. The scriptures warn us about the snare or enticement to go astray and to do what is evil. Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers! (Psalm 141:9) Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling (1 John 2:10). Jesus commands us to not give bad example or lead others into sin The Jews held that it was an unforgivable sin to teach another to sin. If we teach another to sin, he or she in turn may teach still another, until a train of sin is set in motion with no foreseeable end. Jesus warns his disciples of the terrible responsibility that they must set no stumbling block in the way of another, that is, not give offense or bad example that might lead another to sin. The young in faith are especially vulnerable to the bad example of those who should be passing on the faith. The power of faith for overcoming obstacles While Jesus warns against the danger of giving bad example and causing scandal, he also demonstrates the power of faith for overcoming obstacles and temptation to sin. What did Jesus mean when he said that our faith can move trees and mountains as well (see Matthew17:20; Mark 11:23)? The term mountain remover was used for someone who could solve great problems and difficulties. The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in expectant faith Dont we often encounter challenges and difficulties which seem beyond our power to handle? What appears impossible to human power is possible to those who believe in Gods power. Faith is a gift freely given by God to help us know God personally, to understand his truth, and to live in the power of his love. God expects more from us than we can simply do by ourselves. That is why Jesus gives us the gift and power of the Holy Spirit who helps us to grow strong in faith, persevere in hope, and endure in love. Faith in God is the key for removing obstacles and difficulties which keep us from doing his will. We belong to God and our lives are no longer our own. Our joy and privilege is to follow the Lord Jesus and to serve in the power of his love and goodness. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to work in and through us for his glory. For our faith to be effective it must be linked with trust and with obedience - an active submission to God and a willingness to do whatever he commands. Do you trust in the grace and strength which God freely gives to help us resist temptation and to overcome obstacles in doing his will? Lord Jesus, you give us victory over the destructive forces of sin and harmful desires that keep us from doing your will. Give me the strength to always choose what is good and to reject what is wrong. May your love rule my heart that I may forgive those who cause me harm and guide those who need your help.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 02:21:33 +0000

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