September 07, 2010 - Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 6:1-11 * Ps 149 * Lk 6:12-19

THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

 

CHRISTIAN DIGNITY

T wo sisters had been living in different cities. They came home on a visit. While away from home, one of the girls had become a Christian. After a few days, the other girl said, "I do not know what causes it; but you are a great deal easier to live with than you used to be." Yes; when Jesus comes in, it should make a difference. At baptism, Jesus himself, speaking through the baptism minister, calls each of us by name, as he called his twelve apostles, to become his follower and be a witness to him in the world. What an exalted dignity it is to be called by the Son of God himself! A Christian is a walking mystery for the triune God has come to dwell within. Christians are not just nice people; they are new creations, for the living God actually comes to rule their minds. Do we have a proper sense of our Christian dignity and recognize that dignity in others too? St. Paul was saddened to see that this was not the case with some Christians in Corinth. They dragged one another into court over squabbles, instead of settling them between themselves in charity. When we fail to act with Christian dignity, we hurt Christ more than non- Christians do. Enemies within the fort, are more dangerous than those without.

(Taken from His Word for Today by Vima Dasan, S.J, published by Paulines. Visit us at www.paulines.ph or at Paulines Media Centers.)

 

Sower’s Thought: "When we bear Jesus in our heart, we always impart graces and blessings wherever we go. This is especially so after the Mass, Communion, the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the reading of the Gospel." - Blessed James Alberione, Founder of the Pauline Family