Sunday September 8, 2024

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When we let God’s Spirit interpret everything for us, we will act the way the Lord wants us to.

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Good News Reflection for:

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 8, 2024

Today’s Prayer:

Lord Jesus: Open my senses to You so I can experience Your saving presence in my life. May this joy be an eternal praise in me, a testimony of Your love and Your faithfulness. Amen.

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Powerful Catholic prayers are available on our YouTube channel.

Today’s Readings:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
Ps 146:7-10 (with 1b)
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090824.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-september-8-2024

How to have eyes that see and ears that hear

The readings for this Sunday show us God’s concern for the disabled. How closely do we share in his concern for them?

We’re all disabled, one way or another. We can have eyes that see and still be blind. In fact, the scripture from James shows us just how blind we can be!

If we see only how a person dresses, for example, without seeing into their hearts to recognize their gifts and talents and unique reflection of God, we are being judgmental. If we are more impressed by a person’s wealth or title or college degrees than we are by his/her spiritual energy or insights or willingness to serve, we are being judgmental.

Only God can see all the good that’s in a person’s heart, and yet we make assumptions about others as if we’re equal to God. Only God can hear the motives and longings behind a person’s words, and yet we quickly judge what is being said as if we know exactly what is meant.

Judgmentalism shows us nothing more than how truly blind we are.

Jesus wants to say to each of us: “Ephphatha! May your eyes and ears and mind be opened to the truth!” However, so that we can receive this healing, we have to slow down and stop reacting to what’s visible and audible. We cannot trust what we see and hear. We need to take time to prayerfully pause for wisdom and discernment and new discoveries.

This is one of the reasons why Jesus gave us his Holy Spirit. When we let God’s Spirit interpret everything for us, instead of reacting, we will act the way the Lord wants us to. Instead of reacting to partial information, we will act with faith and compassion.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
In what ways do you show partiality toward some people? What types of people do you tend to automatically prefer, based on outward appearances? And whom do you tend to dislike until you get to know them better? How will you begin to change this automatic reaction by relying on the Holy Spirit?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
In what ways have you been judged unfairly? How does it feel? Are you judging those who judged you, neglecting to look deeper inside of them? Next, take turns in your group naming a false accusation that caused suffering, followed by other members describing the goodness that the accusers were too blind to see. (This last part is very important — it is Jesus providing healing!)

For more on this, watch our video, “God Sometimes Does it Weird” @ https://gnm-media.org/god-sometimes-weird/.

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

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