Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word Among Us” for Sunday, 15 June 2014

Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word Among Us” for Sunday, 15 June 2014
Meditations: Exodus 34:4 He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets. 5 Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed Yahweh’s name. 6 Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
8 Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
The Most Holy Trinity
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. (Exodus 34:6, 8)
The Holy Trinity. Three persons in one God. Really, it’s too much for our minds to handle. The greatest theologians and philosophers in history have had to acknowledge their inadequacy in the face of such an awesome mystery. And maybe that’s the point. God isn’t some thing to be dissected and understood; he is some One to be worshipped and adored.
Look at Moses in today’s first reading. God gave him a glimpse of his glory, and it moved Moses to bow to the ground and worship. God proclaimed his name and revealed his nature: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, rich in kindness and fidelity. It was just one little glimpse of divine mercy and kindness—Moses saw only God’s back—but it was enough to bring Moses to his knees in humble adoration (Exodus 33:22-23).
Today at Mass, all of God’s attributes will be on display—if we have the eyes to see. At the Penitential Rite, his mercy will flow freely. In the Liturgy of the Word, God will speak to us and reveal his love and faithfulness. In the Eucharist, his glory will shine as he comes to us in the form of bread and wine—and we are brought into that glory as we receive him.
Try to sense God’s presence in these ways. Contemplate his love, his mercy, and his glory. And as you’re contemplating them, look for the Spirit to give you more insight, deeper healing, and more love. Then, like Moses, bow down before him in worship. Thank him for his faithfulness; praise him for being slow to anger; honor him for his kindness. Truly, we serve an awesome, merciful God!
“Lord, you are so far beyond my understanding! Expand my capacity to know you as I worship you today. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I love you!” Amen.
(Psalm)Daniel 3:52 “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,
    and to be praised and highly exalted forever;
And blessed is your glorious, holy name,
    and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever.
53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
    and to be extolled and highly glorified forever.
54 Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne on the cherubim,
    and to be praised and highly exalted forever.
55 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
    and to be extolled and highly exalted forever.
56 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
    and to be sung and glorified forever.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

(Exodus 34:4 He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets. 5 Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed Yahweh’s name. 6 Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,

8 Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 He said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Daniel 3:52 “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,

    and to be praised and highly exalted forever;

And blessed is your glorious, holy name,

    and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever.

53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

    and to be extolled and highly glorified forever.

54 Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne on the cherubim,

    and to be praised and highly exalted forever.

55 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,

    and to be extolled and highly exalted forever.

56 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

    and to be sung and glorified forever.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.)

1. In the first reading, God describes himself as “merciful and gracious,” and “slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” We have been created in God’s image and likeness. If this is the way that God treats you, then out of gratitude to him, whom specifically do you think that God wants you to treat in a similar manner?

2. In the Responsorial Psalm from the book of Daniel, we hear words of blessing and praise to God from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- after they were thrown into the fiery furnace on orders from King Nebuchadnezzar. What are the things that God has done in your life that make him worthy of your blessing and praise?

3. Paul encourages us in the letter to the Corinthians to “encourage one another.” How would you rate yourself as an “encourager”? How can you better reach out to other others in your parish or in your fellowship groups in order to provide deeper support and friendship? What about you - what are some of the things that keep you from asking for help from a brother or sister in Christ?

4. Paul also tells us to “live in peace.” What are the stress areas in your life that cause you to lose your peace? How do you think God wants you to deal with these areas so that you would experience greater peace?

5. We are all familiar with John 3:16 from the Gospel reading. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. He reached out in love to each one of us in order to reconcile us to his Father. St. Paul says it this way: “All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Who are the people in your life with whom you must still be reconciled? If reconciliation requires you to forgive those who have hurt you or wronged you, are you willing to do this out of gratitude for the forgiveness and love you have received from God? Why or why not? What would be the next step for you in this reconciliation after forgiveness?

6. In the meditation, we hear these words: “God isn’t some thing to be dissected and understood; he is some One to be worshipped and adored.” What do these words mean to you? What part does worship and adoration of God play in your daily life? What about your own personal prayer time? What steps can you take make worship and adoration of God a greater part of it?

7. Take some time now to pray and ask for a deeper revelation and knowledge of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and a deeper experience of his great love for you – so you can love him more deeply in return. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

“Lord, you are so far beyond my understanding! Expand my capacity to know you as I worship you today. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I love you!” Amen.

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