August 24, 2015
St. Bartholomew
Jn 1: 45-51
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved. http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translationMissing Jesus
Have you have seen him? “Homeless Jesus” is a bronze sculpture that depicts Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench. Installed first in Toronto, a casting was recently installed in front of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, operated by the Jesuits in downtown Detroit. The life-like statue is startling, and can be misinterpreted. Once police received a call from someone who confused the sculpture with a vagrant. You see, the only indication that it represents Jesus is the marks from the nails in the man's feet. If you don’t look carefully, you may miss him. It is easy to let our preconceptions cloud our perceptions; to see only what we want to see. Then we can miss seeing Jesus. We miss seeing him on the park bench, in the face of a crying child, perhaps even among our closest friends and loved ones. So how will Jesus reveal himself to me today? Will I see him, or will I miss him?
—Howard Craig is the provincial assistant for Advancement on behalf of the Chicago-Detroit and Wisconsin provinces of the Society of Jesus.Prayer
Who is Jesus to me? Jesus is the Word made Flesh….
Jesus is the Hungry
—to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty
—to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked
—to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless
—to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick
—to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely
—to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted
—to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper
—to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar
—to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard
—to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One
—to embrace him.
Jesus is the Dumb
—to speak to him.
Jesus is the Crippled
—to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict
—to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute
—to remove from danger and befriend her.
Jesus is the Prisoner
—to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served. To me Jesus is my God, Jesus is my Spouse, Jesus is my Life, Jesus is my only Love, Jesus is my All in All, Jesus is my Everything. Amen.
—St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) Please share the Good Word with your friends!
