September 16 2006

Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr, and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr

1 Cor 10:14-22 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than him?

Ps 116:12-13, 17-18R. (17) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,and I will call upon the name of the LORD. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

Phil 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Lk 6:43-49 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that housebut could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

There is a way to folow the Lord and live the gospel that builds up my "house" of faith. When I call on the Lord I am calling with a foundation of faith that I have lived in my acts of love in following the will of God. I pray for listening heart ready to do the will of God this day.

The first reading warns of idolatry. The idols of modern American culture are money, beauty and fame. The culture is very consumeristic and material with little room and value for nonmaterialistic nonconsumeristic activites. I pray for protection from the temptations and the devil's traps that are inherent in our times and culture that I not conform to our times but that I am totally in Christ in my life and loves and not misled by the events and options around me. I pray for a peace and contentment with God's ways and a closeness to God that will protect me from the distractions in my environment.