DIE NOU WOORD OOR MASAALESINGS
vir Saterdag na Aswoensdag, 21 Februarie 2015
Liturgiese tekste na hierdie skakel
IF jy hou regtig op om daaroor na te dink, om regtig op te neem wat pas in die hedendaagse Evangelie gebeur het.
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” (Today’s Gospel)
Tax collectors in Christ’s time were notorious for being scumbags, so much so, that it was a great scandal that Jesus should spend even a moment with them.
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” (Today’s Gospel)
And yet, we Christians often fail to trust in God’s love for us. We say, “I should know better… I’ve been to confession so many times over this sin… God is tired of me, disappointed and angry.” And before we know it, the fire of Divine Love is reduced to smoldering embers, not because God put the flame out, but our lack of faith has!
Dear brothers and sisters, Baptism is only the beginning. You may be saved, but most of us have yet to be completely geheilig. That is, we are still sinners, and as such, we qualify for the Divine Physician.
Die sondaar wat in homself 'n totale ontneming voel van alles wat heilig, rein en plegtig is weens die sonde, die sondaar wat in sy eie oë in die duisternis verkeer, afgesny van die hoop op redding, van die lig van die lewe en van die die gemeenskap van die heiliges, is self die vriend wat Jesus vir ete genooi het, die een wat gevra is om agter die heinings uit te kom, die een wat gevra is om 'n maat in sy troue te wees en 'n erfgenaam van God ... Wie arm, honger is, sondig, geval of onkundig is die gas van Christus. —Matteus die armes, Die Nagmaal van die Liefde
If Jesus chose Levi—that is, the unbaptized, sinful, unenlightened ones to be His first companions, how much more does Jesus consider you who have received the Holy Spirit to be His beloved? And you are. You see, the problem is that we simply cannot believe that God can be this good.
My kind, al jou sondes het My Hart nie so pynlik gekwes soos jou huidige gebrek aan vertroue nie, dat jy na soveel pogings van My liefde en genade steeds aan My goedheid moet twyfel. —Jesus tot St. Faustina, Goddelike genade in my siel, Dagboek, n. 1486
But so long as we remain in this subtle state of doubt, if not despair, we will remain infant Christians—lights hidden beneath bushel baskets, tasteless salt, dry wells. The difference between us and Levi is not our sinfulness, but whether or not we will get out of the chair of doubt and follow Christ as he did. Levi went on, in fact, to throw a “great banquet” for Jesus. But so many of us throw a pity party instead! So you are sinner? How about that! You are proof that Jesus died for a reason after all. Then let your sin be a cause for greater humility, for greater trust, for greater prayer—and above all, greater praise by thanking God that He still loves you. Yes, He will altyd love you, even if you commit the worst sin in the world. Why? Because you are His child. And because you are His child, He wants to do everything to deliver you from your sin. And sometimes, that means having to help you get up, over and over again, out of the dust of weakness.
God word nooit moeg om ons te vergewe nie; ons is diegene wat moeg is om sy genade te soek. - Pous Franciscus, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 3
Want U, o Here, is goed en vergewensgesind en oorvloedig in vriendelikheid vir almal wat U aanroep. (Psalm van vandag)
In truth, most of us never get beyond first base in the spiritual life, which is letting God love us. Second base is loving Him back. And third base is loving our neighbour, as beautifully described in the first reading. But how can you love your neighbour if you don’t love yourself? And you will only be able to love yourself when you see and accept how God loves you.
Today, Love Incarnate is looking straight into your eyes, and He repeats again, "Volg my."
Get up Christian. You are loved. Now go tell the rest of the world.
Dankie vir jou ondersteuning!
Klik op om in te teken na hierdie skakel.
Spandeer 5 minute per dag saam met Mark en oordink die daaglikse Nou Word in die mislesings
gedurende hierdie veertig dae van die vastyd.
'N Opoffering wat jou siel sal voed!
TEKEN IN na hierdie skakel.
