Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word among Us” for Saturday, 19 July 2014Meditations: Matthew 12:11-14 He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it was healed. The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.
In Charge of Everything
15-21 Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all. He also cautioned them to keep it quiet, following guidelines set down by Isaiah:
Look well at my handpicked servant;
I love him so much, take such delight in him.
I’ve placed my Spirit on him;
he’ll decree justice to the nations.
But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice;
there’ll be no commotion in the streets.
He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings,
won’t push you into a corner.
Before you know it, his justice will triumph;
the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even
among far-off unbelievers.
Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench. (Matthew 12:20)
Do you know why the game “Peek-a-Boo” is so enjoyable for babies? Developmental psychologists will tell you that it’s because the game introduces children to the concept of object permanence. Very young babies find it hard to grasp that if someone or something is hidden from sight, it is not actually gone from the room. They think that once their mother’s face is hidden, she must have left the room. If Mom pops back up from behind a blanket, the sudden appearance causes real surprise.
Sometimes even we adults struggle with the “object permanence” of God. When our lives are rocky or our prayers aren’t immediately answered, we wonder if he has left us—or if he even exists at all. We echo today’s psalm in asking, “Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof? Why hide in times of distress?” (Psalm 10:1).
Yet the Gospel reading today gives us something to think about. Even when Jesus was on earth as a man and was actively working miracles, he kept his work quiet. He knew that if he made too many waves, he risked being hampered in accomplishing the victory of his cross. Then, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, Matthew adds an important detail: Jesus will not break “a bruised reed.” He won’t snuff out “a smoldering wick” (Matthew 12:20). What a moving image of the way Jesus deals with us when we feel weary or broken by a trying situation! Not only does God stay in the room when we need him, but he does everything he can to protect us from giving in to our fears and anxieties. When our faith wavers, he loves us even more!
Today, look back on the times when you first felt that God was hiding from you, but then you realized that he had been with you all along. Let these memories convince you that just as a baby eventually learns that his mother is always right there, Jesus is always with you. He will always be there for you, even when times are tough!
“Thank you, Lord, for always being with me! Thank you that you will love me no matter how broken I feel. Refresh my heart with the joy of seeing your face throughout the trials of my life.” Amen.
Micah 2: God Has Had Enough
1-5 Doom to those who plot evil,
who go to bed dreaming up crimes!
As soon as it’s morning,
they’re off, full of energy, doing what they’ve planned.
They covet fields and grab them,
find homes and take them.
They bully the neighbor and his family,
see people only for what they can get out of them.
God has had enough. He says,
“I have some plans of my own:
Disaster because of this interbreeding evil!
Your necks are on the line.
You’re not walking away from this.
It’s doomsday for you.
Mocking ballads will be sung of you,
and you yourselves will sing the blues:
‘Our lives are ruined,
our homes and lands auctioned off.
They take everything, leave us nothing!
All is sold to the highest bidder.’”
And there’ll be no one to stand up for you,
no one to speak for you before God and his jury.
Psalm 10:1-2 God, are you avoiding me?
Where are you when I need you?
Full of hot air, the wicked
are hot on the trail of the poor.
Trip them up, tangle them up
in their fine-tuned plots.
3-4 The wicked are windbags,
the swindlers have foul breath.
The wicked snub God,
their noses stuck high in the air.
Their graffiti are scrawled on the walls:
“Catch us if you can!” “God is dead.”
7-8 They carry a mouthful of hexes,
their tongues spit venom like adders.
They hide behind ordinary people,
then pounce on their victims.
14 But you know all about it—
the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless
will get lucky someday in you.
You won’t let them down:
orphans won’t be orphans forever.
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