sept 5 2006

1 Cor 2:10b-16 Brothers and sisters: The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. Among men, who knows what pertains to the man except his spirit that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everythingbut is not subject to judgment by anyone. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
R. (17) The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and of great kindness.The LORD is good to alland compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdomand speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your mightand the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand holy in all his works.The LORD lifts up all who are fallingand raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.

Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Dearest brothers and sisters:
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Lk 4:31-37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice,“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another,“What is there about his word?For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
It is a gift of healing that Jesus shared with the man possessed in the temple yet even this good act of compassion and healing will be interpreted by the temple officials later as a sign that he is possessed by the devil and evil. The gifts from God that I have received freely are to be shared and the worldly judgements of them are not important but to follow God's will and show love and compassion are important.

I pray today that I can fulfill God's will for me in all that I do and that I use the gifts given to me from God wisely and freely.