My Wednesday Daily Blessings
Be still, quiet your heart and mind, the Lord is here loving you, talking to you.................
Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time (Roman Rite Calendar)
*First Reading: Gen 8:6-13, 20-22
At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark, and he sent out a raven, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark, for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.
In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the water began to dry up on the earth.
Noah then removed the covering of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.
Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
“Never again will I doom the earth because of man since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark, for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.
In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the water began to dry up on the earth.
Noah then removed the covering of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.
Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
“Never again will I doom the earth because of man since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
*Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
"To You, LORD, I will offer a sacrifice of praise."
*Gospel: Mk 8:22-26
When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
What's worse than physical blindness? Blindness of heart and soul for sure! A blind man is led to Jesus by some of his friends. Without their help he could not have found the one who could restore his sight. Jesus understood the fears and hopes of this blind man who begged him to touch him. The blind in a special way perceive the power of touch. Jesus shows considerateness in bringing this man to a place away from the skeptics and gawkers. His sight is restored in stages as he responds to Jesus' healing touch. Mark records this remarkable miracle in three short phrases: He looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home with a warning to avoid the company of those who live in spiritual darkness. Are there any blindspots in your life that cloud your vision of God and his kingdom? Allow the Lord Jesus to touch you with his grace and power that you may walk in the light of his redeeming truth and love.
Jerome, an early church bible scholar (347-420 AD), explains the spiritual significance of this healing for us: "Christ laid his hands upon his eyes that he might see all things clearly, so through visible things he might understand things invisible, which the eye has not seen, that after the film of sin is removed, he might clearly behold the state of his soul with the eye of a clean heart."
Jerome, an early church bible scholar (347-420 AD), explains the spiritual significance of this healing for us: "Christ laid his hands upon his eyes that he might see all things clearly, so through visible things he might understand things invisible, which the eye has not seen, that after the film of sin is removed, he might clearly behold the state of his soul with the eye of a clean heart."
**Prayer:
AMEN.
Sources:
The readings on this page are from the Jerusalem Bible, which is used at Mass in most of the English-speaking world.
*Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
**Don Schwager
Author and Writer for The Word Among Us
Member, Servants of the Word (c) 2006
Word Life Community
No comments:
Post a Comment