Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time BVM

And as for rope bridges or the like - forget it - I have trouble with heights - once Judy would but I never, or at least not without the other option being execution

Balance, of course, it and is not a positive value for Christians

On the one hand, a radical commitment to Jesus, a leap of faith into his love is not a careful balancing act

On the other hand, most Christian virtues are - they are walking towards Christ on a beam and avoiding the Scylla and Charybdis on either side

That is the story of our readings:

Paul balances spiritual revelations with bodily affliction

On the one hand, he seeks neither, just as the great mystics tell us not to seek spiritual revelations and the wise monastic leaders like Benedict tell us not to seek bodily afflictions either - moderate fasting, moderate asceticism

On the other hand, when God chooses to send the visions and revelations, he also sends the afflictions (I think that the thorn in the side is opponents) , which Paul does not seek, but in which he glories since he has learned it is “for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” In other words, they show God’s power and help Paul identify more with Jesus

Jesus contrasts God with the two negative relationships with mammon

The first is serving mammon, when you do this or that because of the material consequences. “We cannot take this position or do that ministry because it would upset a prime donor.” I’ve heard that in places. When mammon can call the shots, God becomes nominal. That was the great danger of the church becoming involved with the state.

The second is rejecting mammon and rejecting the fact that God in his love does provide in the way and manner he thinks best.

We tend to worry about how we can provide, and then we tell God what we are worrying about and what to do about it.

God tells us, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”

Notice that God knows what we need - he does not tell us to get over material needs

But God also tells us what to seek - the kingdom - and then God will provide us with what is needed to carry out the seeking he has put in our hearts

For George Washington Carver it was seeking to help dirt poor farmers in a south with worn out soil - feed and clothe the poor - and God taught him the secrets of the peanut.

For my grandmother it was raising and educating orphans and God gave the orphanage enough food, often at the last minute. Like Paul they did not advertise their needs so that God’s supply would come in God’s time and in God’s way to God’s glory.

Sisters, if we want to seek the kingdom, to seek God, then God will help us balance

He may give us visions and revelations, but will then also allow suffering to give us balance

He will supply our needs, but he will so define our need and our supply sources that we do not manipulate in order to “make it work” and that we let go of either false asceticism or worry and manipulative prayer, whichever one we lean to.

And that has not only us walking a balance beam, but God carefully treading a high wire balancing act for our good, even if we can only grasp and appreciate it in retrospect.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-19-2021: Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

2 Corinthians 12:1–10

1 I must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know someone in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know that this person (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter. 5 About this person I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. 6 Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me 7 because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-19-2021: Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 34:9a

9 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.

PSALM

Psalm 34:8–13

8 The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and he saves them.

9 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.

10 Fear the LORD, you his holy ones;

nothing is lacking to those who fear him.

11 The rich grow poor and go hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

12 Come, children, listen to me;

I will teach you fear of the LORD.

13 Who is the man who delights in life,

who loves to see the good days?

Catholic Daily Readings 6-19-2021: Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

2 Corinthians 8:9

9 For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

GOSPEL

Matthew 6:24–34

24 “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-19-2021: Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | ORDINARY TIME

SATURDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR 1 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

On the same date: Saint Romuald, Abbot

First Reading 2 Corinthians 12:1–10

Response Psalm 34:9a

Psalm Psalm 34:8–13

Gospel Acclamation 2 Corinthians 8:9

Gospel Matthew 6:24–34

GREEN, but since BVM BLUE