Friday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, Year A, June 09, 2017.
1st Reading: Book of Tobit 11:5-17.
Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father, “Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!” Raphael said to Tobiah before he reached his father: “I am certain that his eyes will be opened. Smear the fish gall on them. This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”
Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud. Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate. Tobiah went up to him with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. “Courage, father,” he said. Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts.
When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him and wept. He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he said: “Blessed be God, and praised be his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised throughout all the ages, Because it was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!” Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobiah told his father that his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh.
Rejoicing and praising God, Tobit went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law. When the people of Nineveh saw him walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed. Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah, he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed is my son Tobiah, and blessed are you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh. The word of the Lord.
Respo Ps:146(145):1b.2.6c-7.8-9a.9bc-10.
R/. Praise the Lord, my soul!
Holy Gospel: Mark 12:35-37.
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the holy Spirit, said: ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.”‘ David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” (The) great crowd heard this with delight. The gospel of the Lord.
FRIDAY REFLECTIONS:
This is a common reaction to the teaching and presence of Jesus in our lives. The Psalms are filled with images like this. “I delight in the Lord.” “How sweet are Your words.” “I delight in Your commands.” These and many other references reveal one of the effects of Jesus’ words and presence in our lives. His word and His presence in our lives is extraordinarily pleasurable. This fact begs the question, “Do I delight in Jesus’ words?” Too often we see the words of Christ as a burden, restriction or limitation to what we want in life. For that reason, we can often see the will of God as something difficult and burdensome. Truth be told, if our hearts are rooted in sin or in the pleasures of the world, then the words of our Lord may sting and feel like a burden to us. But that’s just because we find them in contradiction to the many unhealthy things we become attached to.
If you find that the Word of God, Jesus’ words, are hard to hear, then you are starting to head down the right road. We are starting to let His Word “do battle,” so to speak, with the many other lures and enticements that ultimately only leave us dry and empty. This is the first step to being able to delight in the Lord and His words. The good news is that if we can allow His Word to cut through the many unhealthy attachments we have in life, we will begin to discover that we greatly love His Word and delight in His presence in our lives. We will begin to discover that the pleasure and delight we experience from His presence in our lives far outweighs any other passing attachment or pleasure we may have. Even sin can produce a false sense of satisfaction.
Together we pray: Lord, I desire to delight in You. Help me to turn away from the many attractions and enticements of this world. Help me to seek You and Your Word always. In the discovery of Your Word, fill my soul with the greatest delight. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled weekend.