Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Friday, 16 January 2015

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Friday, 16 January 2015
Meditation - Hebrews 4:1 The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out. 2 We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. 3 Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say,
“God became angry
    and told the people,
‘You will never enter
    my place of rest!’”
God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation. 4 In fact, somewhere the Scriptures say that by the seventh day, God had finished his work, and so he rested. 5 We also read that he later said, “You people will never enter my place of rest!”
11 We should do our best to enter that place of rest, so that none of us will disobey and miss going there, as they did.
1st Week in Ordinary time
Let us strive to enter into that rest. (Hebrews 4:11)
Wait a minute! Aren’t “striving” and “resting” diametrically opposed to each other? How can you strive to be restful?
Perhaps we think about how we feel at the end of a busy day. We have been trying hard to do well at our work and be kind to the people around us. Then comes the end of the day, when we sink into bed exhausted, grateful to stop “striving” for a few hours before it starts over all again. Finally, we can rest!
But this isn’t the kind of “rest” that the writer of Hebrews has in mind. Notice he says that after working the miracle of creation, God rested on the seventh day. Having made all things “very good,” he is now peacefully guiding the world as its history unfolds (Genesis 1:31). He isn’t idle. He is actively sustaining his creation and intervening in billions of people’s lives, urging them to turn to him. And yet God is also at rest, perfectly content as he goes about his work.
This is the kind of “rest” God wants us to experience. He wants us to be at peace with him, at peace with ourselves, and at peace with the people around us. It’s the kind of peace we can experience no matter how many responsibilities, concerns, or chores occupy our minds. But beware. If we drift away from his love and his presence, we risk losing sight of that rest. Anxiety creeps in. Perhaps envy or frustration finds a home, too. We become rest-less.
This is where the “striving” comes in. It’s up to us to stay close to the Lord, to try to think as he thinks, to feel as he feels, and to let go of what doesn’t matter to him.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it’s not meant to be. When an obstacle surfaces, just toss it aside, and breathe a little prayer. In that short breath, draw near to the Lord. Lean on him, and let him bring you back to his peace. Make it a habit of turning to him during the day, and you’ll find yourself more alert to the attitudes and actions that disturb your peace. You’ll find yourself entering into his rest!
“Father, I belong to you. Help me to rely on your strength working in me.” Amen!
Psalms 78:3 These are things we learned
    from our ancestors,
4     and we will tell them
    to the next generation.
We won’t keep secret
    the glorious deeds
    and the mighty miracles
    of the Lord.
6 so that each new generation
would know his Law
    and tell it to the next.
7 Then they would trust God
    and obey his teachings,
    without forgetting anything
    God had done.
8 They would be different
    from their ancestors,
    who were stubborn, rebellious,
    and unfaithful to God.
Mark 2: Jesus Heals a Crippled Man
1 Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home.[a] 2 Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn’t even standing room left in front of the door.
Jesus was still teaching 3 when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat. 4 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof[b] above him and let the man down in front of everyone.
5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7 “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”
8 Right away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10 I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, 11 “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.”
12 The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”[Footnotes:
2.1 at home: Or “in the house” (perhaps Simon Peter’s home).
2.4 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof that was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.]
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