Readings & Reflections: Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time & St. Ansgar, February 1,2020

The rebuke that God gives to David through Natan moves David to confess, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Christ’s rebuking of the wind and the sea moves the disciples to ask, “Who is this whom even the wind and sea obey”? In the rebuke of God we are drawn to God’s greatest power: his mercy.

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, A lot of times in my life, my faith has been weak and ambivalent. At times I have been un-faith-full to my covenant with You to strengthen and renew my relationship with You.  But Lord, I cannot recall a time when You had given up on me. I cannot recall a time when there hasn’t been some small Voice that reminds me to draw closer to You amidst my sinfulness. Lord, I am so grateful for your faithfulness… for continuing to believe in the goodness that is within me. Lord, today, please give me the grace to strengthen my faith, to be faith-full in seeking You. Lord, empower me to let go of the worries and uncertainties that impede me from truly trusting and loving You. Amen.

Reading 1
2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17
The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,
Nathan said: “Judge this case for me!
In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.
But the poor man had nothing at all
except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.
He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.
She shared the little food he had
and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.
She was like a daughter to him.
Now, the rich man received a visitor,
but he would not take from his own flocks and herds
to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him.
Instead he took the poor man’s ewe lamb
and made a meal of it for his visitor.”
David grew very angry with that man and said to him:
“As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!
He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold
because he has done this and has had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David:  “You are the man!
Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘The sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
Thus says the LORD:
‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.
I will take your wives while you live to see it,
and will give them to your neighbor.
He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.
You have done this deed in secret,
but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel,
and with the sun looking down.’”

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed, the child born to you must surely die.” Then Nathan returned to his house.

The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David,
and it became desperately ill. David besought God for the child.
He kept a fast, retiring for the night to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
The elders of his house stood beside him urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor would he take food with them.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R.  (12a)  Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Gospel

Mk 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.

They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Faith is confident assurance

Faith to a good number is what makes the world go round, what makes people desire for more in life, what inspires people to do good and be righteous in the eyes of God. Faith is what makes a man and a woman who have professed love for each other to decide to be one and united in the sacrament of matrimony believing that God had called them into such a union.

In spite of our brokenness and sinfulness, God fills us with faith as HE is present in us, all the days of their lives.  Faith is what makes us accept that parenthood is part of being a follower of Christ even if bearing children is completely unknown to us.  Faith is what makes married couples be true parents to their children whatever the circumstances may be.

Sickness, troubled relationships, familial problems most often rock our lives and may cause us to lose faith in our Lord. Many times in our own lives we lose sight of Jesus when we are filled with fear, worry and anxiety. Amidst troubles and difficulties in life, we are all asked to keep faith in our Lord which at times may not be easy to do.

Abraham had to learn the way of faith in the same we learn it.  Faith grows by perseverance and consistency, taking daily steps of obedience and trust in God’s word. If we want to grow in faith and allow the Lord to use us as his instruments, then we must open our hearts to God, cooperate with Him as Abraham did.  God will test us, not to make us fail, but build into us the character and strength of Christ Who was never shaken and wavered in the face of doubt, trial, and affliction. “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans. 4:20-21).

As we all saw Jesus calm the storm at sea in today’s gospel, our hearts should realize that the best and wisest thing to do is to just trust Him completely, whether we understand our circumstances or not.

How many times in our own lives do we lose sight of Jesus when we are filled with fear, worry and anxiety?

Today, all we need is FAITH in order for God to calm the storms of our lives!

Faith is to believe in Him with no if’s and but’s.

Direction
Trust God with all your heart no matter what the circumstances may be.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, perfect my faith so that no amount of adversities, fears or intimidation from the enemy may cause me to draw away from You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Reflection 2 – Why are you afraid?

How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus’ sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples. They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need. The Lord Jesus is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Do you recognize the Lord’s presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord is there with the same reassuring message: “It is I, do not be afraid.”

Faith must be nourished with the Word of God
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God.

Christ’s love and truth strengthen us in faith and trust
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God’s word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God’s promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?

“Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. And give me courage to do your will in all circumstances.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2020/feb1.htm

Reflection 3 – Life’s Storm-Tossed Sea

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. —1 Peter 5:7

Emilie, wife of 19th-century German pastor Christoph Blumhardt, envied his ability to pray for his parishioners and then effortlessly fall asleep. So one night she pleaded, “Tell me your secret!”

He answered, “Is God so powerless that my worrying would help the well-being of our parish?” Then he added, “There comes a moment each day when we must simply drop what weighs on us and hand it over to God.”

One evening Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Weary after a long day of ministry, He fell asleep in the stern of the boat. A fierce squall suddenly arose—so fierce that even the Lord’s fishermen-turned-disciples were terrified. But Jesus continued to sleep serenely until His frightened followers woke Him, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). You see, Jesus was in the habit of entrusting Himself to His heavenly Father. Having made that commitment, He could sleep through the turbulent squall.

When worries begin to gnaw at our mind, let’s surrender them to the Lord and not take them back again (1 Peter 5:7). That’s the secret of soul-serenity when we’re on life’s storm-tossed sea.  — Vernon C. Grounds

Jesus knows the pain you feel,
He can save and He can heal—
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.  —Tindley

Drop what weighs you down by giving it to God (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 4 – Lord, Don’t You Care?

He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!. –Mark 4:39

Two of the most telling questions in the New Testament were asked of Jesus by people who loved Him deeply. When a fierce storm threatened to sink their boat in the Sea of Galilee, His disciples asked, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mk. 4:38). On another occasion, as a relaxed Mary listened to Jesus, a tense Martha came from the kitchen and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (Lk. 10:40).

Both questions were asked by people who had seen the power of Jesus and expected Him to step in and relieve their anxiety. When it seemed that the Lord was ignoring their situation, an element of exasperation was added: “Don’t You care?”

The Scripture does not give us the tone of Jesus’ voice, but I suspect that His replies were gentle and caring. “Why are you so fearful?” (Mk. 4:40). “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things” (Lk. 10:41).

When we’re feeling alone or overwhelmed by our circumstances, we often cry out, “Lord, don’t You care?” But when Jesus calms our storm and speaks our name, we realize that we have much more to learn about His compassion for us, and we long to trust Him with all of our cares.  — David C. McCasland

I love to dwell upon the thought
That Jesus cares for me;
It matters not what life may bring–
He loves me tenderly. –Adams

Jesus cares! (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 5 – Faith in Jesus

“Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?” (Mk 4:41). The apostles ask this question in stupefied wonder. They were in the boat with Christ when, as is common on the Sea of Galilee, a sudden violent storm swept down and created waves of more than six feet, putting small crafts like theirs in jeopardy. The apostles were not completely lacking in faith, but they cried to Christ for help, though he was asleep, for their faith was still imperfect.

Though faith is found in the intellect, because it involves an assent to propositions, it cannot be reduced to merely a process of reasoning. Arguments that prove the existence of God, as the Church and St. Paul in Romans tells us, are not only possible but have actually been made “by a few people, with a mixture of error, in their old age” (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, 1, 1), and can serve as preambles to faith. Reasoning can lead us to conclude many things about God and providence that should serve as an appropriate and sometimes needed human preparation for faith. Sometimes reasoning is needed to show that arguments against the faith are illogical. But reasoning can never totally suffice because faith is a participation in the very knowledge that God has of himself.

After thirty long chapters of arguing about why the just suffer and the wicked prosper, certainly a powerful argument against divine providence, God enlightens Job from the whirlwind to settle the argument by stimulating his faith. Though one can know from reason alone that earthly goods cannot satisfy man and that as long as one has not lost God one has not lost his humanity, God drives the point home by a revelation of faith. God questions man concerning his power over nature and prepares man for the miracle of Christ calming the seas, asking” “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? … Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth from its womb… as prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, “Thus far shall you come and no farther, and here shall you proud waves be stayed’?” (Job 38:4, 8-11).

Even though the experience of the world can be enough to prove that God exists, for a complete and certain understanding of divine providence human reason is never enough. Faith is a participation in God’s reason and so unlike any other scientific knowledge that the will must also be prepared to receive faith. Faith is a grace, a grace of personal union with the Trinity through Christ, a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). To assent to all the truth about him, Christ performs actions to move man’s will to trust in what Christ reveals. What Christ reveals is wonderful, but as Paul says: “From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer” (2 Cor 5:16).

In the storm-tossed sea, the apostles cried out for certainty and placed their trust in Christ. “Don’t you care if we perish?” (Mk 4:38). He arose and supplied a motive for regarding him from a divine point of view by addressing the wind and the sea as living things: “Peace. Be still” (Mk 4:39). Our inner life is often storm-tossed by concupiscence. Our outer lives are often troubled as the Church seems to be storm-tossed by world event. Sometimes even believers can be shaken in their faith because Christ can seem asleep in the boat. The very violence and unexpected nature of these difficulties can lead the believer to cry out: “Don’t you care if we perish?”

In the midst of all these troubles, each must cry for Christ to continue to aid his faith. Christ cares more than we know. All he asks of us is that we give up our self-reliance and “fall into the everlasting arms.” We cannot save ourselves nor can we persevere in our faith by our own power. We must understand that we need and must rely on his grace. He helps us to acquire a more supernatural point of view toward ourselves, our neighbor, our world, and even life and death when he speaks: “Peace. Be still.” If he created and can calm the wind and the sea, he can certainly calm our intellect and our wills. Faith is only made living and perfect in love.

The apostles were amazed when he calmed the wind and the sea at his word and said: “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?” When he calms the storms of our inner lives, which seem to conflict so much with our faith, we must answer: “he is God made man.” (Source: Rev. Brian T. Mullady, OP, STD, “Homilies on the Liturgies of Sundays and Feasts,” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, Vol. CIX, No. 8. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, May 2009, pp. 37-38; Suggested reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 144-175; Ralph McInerny, “On Behalf of Natural Theology,” in Being and Predication).

Reflection 6 – What Are You Afraid Of?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

Much in our lives is ruled by fear. We’re so used to its influence, we often don’t even recognize how much it’s holding us back from being all that God created us to be: how much joy, satisfaction, peace, purpose, and freedom to truly know God’s love and mercy and forgiveness.

Are you afraid to say no to people’s demands on you, even when you are being over-stretched? Are you afraid to say yes to God’s will for your life, even though your own will has gotten you into so many messes? Are you afraid to make a needed change in your life? Are you afraid to reach out for new friendships? Are you afraid to stay in a marriage or job where the problems feel overwhelming?

There are three kinds of fear:

1. Fear of God, which means we are in AWE of Him because we realize that He is perfectly loving, totally good, and without Him we are neither loving nor good.
2. Natural Fear, which is the common sense warning that helps us survive: “Don’t put your hand on that hot stove or it will burn!”
3. Evil Fear, which blows common sense out of proportion, and which has nothing to do with God: “Don’t get within 10 feet of that hot stove or you will burn!” Evil fear harms both our relationship with God and our enjoyment of this world.

Evil (or unhealthy) fear originates with punishment. When we were children, our parents taught us to be good by punishing us when we did something bad. We obeyed our parents because wefeared them. We feared their anger, or their lectures, or their spankings, or their disapproval. As an adult, examine closely what motivates you to do good? Do you perform your job well because you love the people you work for or is there any fear of being reprimanded or losing your job? Do you help your neighbor because you love him or because you’re afraid of his reaction if you turn your back on his need? Do you go to church because of the fear of going to hell or because you love God?

Scripture says:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 NIV)

To surrender our fears and live a life of love, we need to differentiate between God and our parents. They were our first role models of what God is like, so we normally (unconsciously) think God is limited like they were. For example, if your Dad was away from home a lot, you probably think that God is distant, too. But God is the Perfect Parent. He loves you totally, unconditionally, no matter what, forever and always, completely. He was with you in your worst sufferings, sharing in your hurts and tears, even when you didn’t realize it. You are His beloved child! Do you believe it?

Fear in your life indicates that you don’t totally believe in God’s love. The most common reason people don’t believe in it is the suffering they’ve endured and witnessed. We associate suffering with punishment. Our world has taught us that suffering is bad and that we must get rid of everything and everyone that causes us pain and difficulties. We think that if we’re good enough, the pain will finally end, but when we fail to stop the pain, we become convinced that God is continually disapproving of us. We believe that if God allows us to suffer ~ which obviously He does ~ He must be punishing us.

WRONG!

Fear always lies to us. Fear tells us: “Suffering is proof that God’s love has quit on you, or it’s insufficient to protect you.” Fear tells us that we must take matters into our own hands in order to gain happiness in our lives, and thus control becomes a major issue for us. We fear losing control or giving up control to another person, and we especially fear giving total control to God!

The opposite of fear is trust, and it sure is hard to trust God completely! How often have you prayed for something, and when you didn’t get what you wanted fast enough or the way you wanted it, you gave up waiting on God and took care of it yourself? And how often have you later regretted it, because you couldn’t solve the problem satisfactorily anyway?

The sufferings we fear can actually bring us closer to God. Scripture says:

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17 NIV)

Scripture also says:

The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Luke 12:40 NIV)

We do not expect Him in our sufferings. We look for Him to relieve our sufferings, and usually demand it from Him! When the relief doesn’t come fast enough, our feelings convince us that He is no longer loving us, that we are not safe with Him, and that He has abandoned us. Fear blinds us to seeing His tears as He stands at our side. Fear deafens us to the comfort He is offering. Fear keeps us from feeling His strong arms carrying us.

What are you feeling when you’re afraid? Feelings are true expressions of what is going on inside us, but feelings do not teach us Truth. God is not a God of feelings, but feelings are a part of God.We should look at what our feelings are telling us, but we should not let our feelings control us. Feelings are merely reflections of our beliefs. If our beliefs are wrong, and if we think our feelings are teaching us something, we end up going in the wrong direction, and we end up in turmoil, fighting unnecessary battles. For example, when you get down on yourself because you feel bad about yourself, it’s because you’re already believing that you’re a bad person. The feeling is not proof that you’re bad, but sometimes you interpret it that way. The feeling is just an expression of the underlying FEAR that you are bad, and fear is lying to you.

To overcome fear and enter into the fullness of God’s love for you:

1. Look at the fear
2. Identify the lie it is telling you
3. Tell yourself what the truth is
4. Figure out WHY it is true
5. Choose to believe the truth
6. Ask the Holy Spirit, who is Truth itself, to empower you to believe the truth
7. Act on the truth

For example, when you feel bad about yourself:

1. Look at the fear (I’m afraid I’m a bad person)
2. Identify the lie (I am worthless, not good enough, and deserving of abuse)
3. Tell yourself the truth (I am valuable, I am good enough, I do not deserve any kind of
   punishment)
4. Figure out WHY it is true (I was created in the image of God, therefore I am valuable. Christ died for me and redeemed me from worthlessness. He willingly suffered for me and chose to make me “good enough” for His tremendous love. When He substituted Himself for me and my sinfulness on the cross, He took upon Himself the punishments I deserved, and thus I am no longer deserving of any kind of punishment.)
5. Choose to believe the truth (I don’t want to be controlled by deception any more.)
6. Ask the Holy Spirit, who is Truth itself, to empower you to believe the truth. (Help!)
7. Act on the truth ( I will DO something good to myself. I will treat myself ASAP to something that is fun, enjoyable, some sort of reward, just because I am me!

Taking action is crucial to overcoming fears and living in the fullness of God’s love.

We see the truth and we forget it.
We hear the truth and we remember it.
We DO the truth and we understand it.

With understanding comes a change in our beliefs. We stop believing the lies of fear and start truly believing that God really does love us. And that is when we willingly give God our trust. That is when we are set free to live in the full power of the kingdom of God. That is when we have self-control instead of being controlled by fear. That is when love takes over.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

 Read the source: http://wordbytes.gnm.org/spiritualgrowth-fear/

Please follow Romeo Hontiveros at Twitter click this link: https://twitter.com/Trumpeta

Reflection 7 – St. Ansgar (801-865 A.D.)

The “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work, without noticeable success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he went there, suffering capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Fewer than two years later, he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions. Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13 years’ work in Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism.

He directed new apostolic activities in the North, traveling to Denmark and being instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the strange device of casting lots, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian missionaries to return.

Ansgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr.

Sweden became pagan again after his death, and remained so until the coming of missionaries two centuries later.

Story:

One of his followers was bragging about all the miracles the saint had wrought. Ansgar rebuked him by saying, “If I were worthy of such a favor from my God, I would ask that he grant me this one miracle: that by his grace he would make of me a good man.”

Comment:

History records what people do, rather than what they are. Yet the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary. Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines. Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves.

Patron Saint of: Denmark

Read the source:  http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1278

SAINT OF THE DAY
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God’s invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Click here to receive Saint of the Day in your email.