Monday 2 September 2024

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Today is Monday the 2nd of September in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time.

Juliano Ravanello sings ‘Hino Cristológico’, based on the Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:4 –11:

‘…Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.’

Jesus Cristo e o Senhor

Para a Gloria de Deus Pai

Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo

De natureza divina

Nao exigiu ser tratado

Na qualidade de Deus

Mas despojou-se ele mesmo

Tomando a forma de servo

Igual aos homens sem tudo

E simples homem julgado

Quis humilhar-se a si proprio

E obediente mostrou-se

Ate a morte de cruz

E por isso Deus o exaltou

E o destituiu como homem

Que todo homem supera

Ao nome pois de Jesus

Todo joelho se dobre

No ceu, na terra e sob a Terra

E toda lingua proclame

Para o esplendor de Deus Pai

Que Jesus Cristo e o Senhor

Jesus Cristo e o Senhor

Para a Gloria de Deus Pai

Jesus Christ is The Lord

For the Glory of God the Father

Our Lord Jesus Christ

Of divine nature

Did not demand to be treated

in the quality of God

But he stripped himself

Taking the form of a servant

Just like men without everything

And simple man judged

I wanted to humiliate myself

And obediently showed

to the death of the cross

And for this God exalted him

And dismissed him as a man

That every man overcomes

To the name of Jesus

Every knee bow

In heaven, on earth and under the earth

And every tongue proclaim

To the splendor of God the Father

That Jesus Christ is Lord

Jesus Christ is The Lord

For the Glory of God the Father

Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Human beings who profess belief in a loving God wrestle with the problem of evil. Why is there so much suffering in the world? In particular, why is there so much innocent suffering? There are philosophical and theological responses to this question. They vary in quality . . . How do you wrestle with all this in your heart?

St Paul resists any easy or partial answer. Instead, he points to a God who chooses to be human in Jesus. He pays the price and is crucified . . . How do you respond to this?

This is the God Paul believes in and proclaims. Herein lies God’s response to suffering and evil. Here is God’s power . . . Listen once more to St Paul’s words…

As you consider the suffering world, you don’t have to work it all out. Rather, in your mind’s eye, might you gaze at Jesus on the cross . . .

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.