Catholic Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Tuesday, 2 September 2014

Catholic Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Meditations 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That’s why we have this Scripture text:
No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.
But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.
10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.
22nd Week in Ordinary Time
We speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:13)
Have you ever worked in public relations? You probably have, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. If you’ve ever commended a friend when they weren’t around, or sung the praises of your favorite restaurant, that’s a form of PR! It’s all about strategic conversation. It’s meant to help other people appreciate someone or something more in the hopes that they will develop their own relationship with that person or organization.
In today’s first reading, Paul affirms that we are all called to be in public relations. Our job is to engage people in a conversation that will help them appreciate God and welcome him into their lives. Throughout your life, you will connect with countless people, some of whom you know well and others whom you just meet in passing. Some of these people know the truth about God and his love for the world, but others may have misconceptions. Some may feel far from God, while others deny his existence. So you have to learn how to tailor your words and gestures to suit each person. Like a good PR person, you have to be flexible and creative.
If this is starting to seem like a job for someone with a little more field experience, don’t worry. Paul encourages us not to rely only on our human abilities—they simply aren’t enough. Not even the smoothest evangelist can draw a person to the Lord on his or her own. You need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Let him help steer your conversations in the right direction. Let him give you suggestions about how you can connect with each person you are speaking with.
It takes just a little practice to keep one ear open to the person you are speaking with and the other ear open to the Spirit. What does this person need right now? What does he or she think about God? How can I show God’s love to him or her? The Spirit loves to answer these questions!
So work on your PR abilities. You’ll be surprised at how often the Spirit suggests a thought or idea that will make a big difference in someone’s life!
“Holy Spirit, speak through me so that people may come to know you better.” Amen!
Psalms 145:8 God is all mercy and grace—
    not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 God is good to one and all;
    everything he does is suffused with grace.
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
    your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
    they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
    the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
    you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
    and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
    gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
Luke 4:31-32 He went down to Capernaum, a village in Galilee. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath. They were surprised and impressed—his teaching was so forthright, so confident, so authoritative, not the quibbling and quoting they were used to.
33-34 In the meeting place that day there was a man demonically disturbed. He screamed, “Ho! What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to. You’re the Holy One of God and you’ve come to destroy us!”
35 Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The demonic spirit threw the man down in front of them all and left. The demon didn’t hurt him.
36-37 That set everyone back on their heels, whispering and wondering, “What’s going on here? Someone whose words make things happen? Someone who orders demonic spirits to get out and they go?” Jesus was the talk of the town.
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