A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 21, n. 32)
Week 13 in Ordinary Time: July 2-8, 2023
(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: June 25 – July 1, 2023 please go to ARCHIVES Series 21 and click on “Ordinary Week 12”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY:
June 25 – July 1, 2023.)
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July 2, 2023: THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us the Meaning of Discipleship”
BIBLE READINGS
2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a // Rom 6:3-4, 8-11 // Mt 10:37-42
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 10:37-42): “Whoever does not take up his cross is not worthy of me.”
The Maryknoll magazine (cf. May-June 2005 issue, p. 33) presents a modern day example of a Christian disciple who took up her cross in imitation of Christ. She dared to lose her life believing that she would find it. The American-born Sr. Dorothy Stang is a beautiful figure of one who renounces self to follow Christ and receives his “little ones” with a welcoming heart. Here is the account in the “World Watch” section of the magazine.
Sister Dorothy Stang, present! Sister Dorothy Stang, a native of Dayton, Ohio, and a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, was shot to death on February 12, allegedly on orders of a group of landowners threatened by her work for justice for landless and small farmers in Anapu, the town in Brazil’s Amazon where she lived and worked for 37 years. After attending the United Nation’s 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Stang realized her work for the poor was fully entwined with protecting the environment. For the past 15 years, she was an outspoken activist against the destruction of the Amazon, which has lost as much as 20 percent of its 1.6 million square miles to development, logging and farming … Stang received multiple death threats before she was killed.
The Gospel reading of this Sunday is composed of two parts: the renunciation demanded by Christian discipleship (Mt 10:37-39) and the rewards of this discipleship (Mt 10: 40-42).
Concerning the renunciation that is demanded of Christian disciples, Romano Guardini remarks: “The more profoundly Christian a man becomes, the deeper the cleft between him and those who refuse to follow Christ – its exact measure proportionate to that refusal. The split runs right through the most intimate relationship, for genuine conversion is not a thing of decision an individual can make. The one makes it, the other does not; hence the possibility for a schism between father and son, friend and friend, one member of a household and another. When it comes to a choice between domestic peace and Jesus, one must value Jesus higher, even higher than the most dearly beloved: father and mother, son and daughter, friend or love. This means cutting into the very core of life, and temptation presses us to preserve human ties and abandon Christ. But Jesus warns us: If you hold life fast, sacrificing me for it, you lose your own true life. If you let it go for my sake, you will find yourself in the heart of immeasurable reality.”
R. Guardini then underlines the intimate connection between absolute Christian discipleship and the reality of the cross: “Naturally, it is difficult; it is the cross. And here we touch the heaviest mystery of Christianity, its inseparableness from Calvary. Ever since Christ walked the way of the cross, it stands firmly planted on every Christian’s road, for every follower of Christ has his own personal cross. Nature revolts against it, wishing to preserve herself. She tries to go around it, but Jesus has said unequivocally, and his words are fundamental to Christianity: He who hangs on, body and soul, to life will lose it; he who surrenders his will to his cross will find it – once and for ever in the immortal self that shares in the life of Christ … The great lesson of the cross is the great lesson of self-surrender and self-conquest.”
The second part of this Sunday’s Gospel reading (cf. Mt 10:40-42) reiterates the basic points delineated in Jesus’ Missionary Discourse:
- The disciples are the representatives of Jesus.
- To receive Jesus’ disciples is to receive not only him but also his heavenly Father.
- Fitting rewards will be given to those who receive Christian prophets, holy men and women, and even any disciple because they all represent Christ and his heavenly Father.
Harold Buetow comments: “Everyone can help in the work of witnessing for God – even if only in some small way like giving a cup of cold water. In the heat of the long, dry summer of the Holy Land, a cup of cold water is a welcome, if inexpensive, gift. In places that have plentiful water, Jesus’ cup of cold water may be translated into a much-wanted letter, a smile of appreciation, an encouraging word – all as inexpensive as a cup of water in a dry country and all equally needed and appreciated everywhere. Even those small efforts in his name, says Jesus, will receive a prophet’s reward.”
B. First Reading (2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a): “Elisha is a holy man, let him remain.”
The reading (II Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a) depicts the figure of a generous and intuitive woman who lives in Shunem. The prophet Elisha comes to experience the hospitality of this “great lady” who rightly perceives him as “a holy man of God”. She suggests to her husband to build a room on the roof, put a bed, a table, a chair and a lamp so that Elisha can stay there when he visits them. Her hospitality evokes a blessing from the prophet. The barren woman will bear a son. As Elisha has said, at about that time the following year, she gives birth to a son.
This Old Testament episode is a good backdrop for what Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward” (Mt 10:41). Indeed, whatever good done to a prophet, to a good man, to a disciple, to the poor and hungry, to the “little ones” redounds to God’s glory and evokes the blessings of God on this earth and in eternal life.
The following exhortations of Blessed James Alberione to the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, called for a special service to priests, gives insight into the charity to be rendered to his ministers and the reward that it brings (cf. Alle Pie Discepole 1961, 229 and Alle Pie Discepole 1947, 454).
See everything as God sees it, that is: the person who receives an apostle receives me, and “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you cared for me; I was in prison and you consoled me, etc …”
If this applies to the least of those who seek to clothe, feed, etc. How much more so when we are dealing with a candidate for the priesthood, a priest who is active in ministry, a priest who needs the services of the Pious Disciples because he is elderly, ill … to the priest for whom we pray after his death. The Pious Disciple is deeply bond by this duty of charity: offer suffrages for the deceased priests.
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When Judgment Day comes, Jesus will tell you: “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me; afflicted and you consoled me …”
You will answer: “Jesus, when did I do this?” And he will tell you: “All the times you did it to the Priest, you did it to me.”
My Mother was placed at my right, and because you imitated her and continued her duty, you will have a share of the same glory and reward.
C. Second Reading (Rom 6:3-4, 8-11): “Buried with Christ in baptism, we shall walk in the newness of life.”
The reading (Rom 6:3-4, 8-11) is a beautiful description of the Christian experience. Through baptism, the Christian is dead to sin and rises to new life in Christ. By being united to Christ through baptism, the believer participates in a total and definitive separation from the forces of evil and sin. Moreover, as the Risen Christ enjoys a new relationship with his Father, the baptized has a real share in the new way of life … in the new principle of vitality. By the power of Christ’s death and resurrection, the life of the baptized believer is “transformed”. Indeed, the power of Christ’s resurrection is already at work. How can the baptized deny this reality and return to a former sinful way of life?
The following book excerpt(cf. Giovanni Flabo, St. Monica: The Power of a Mother’s Love, Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2007, p. 99-100) gives insight into the transforming and vivifying baptismal experience of Saint Augustine.
Together with the assembly of the faithful, Monica followed the last phases of the catechumenate and the rites of preparation for the sacrament … Finally the great moment came for Augustine to descend into the regenerating waters and emerge as a new creature in the profession of the ture faith hehad once opposed. Now he was preparing to glorify and defend the faith with the depth of his mind and the holiness of his life.
His head was anointed with the holy chrism oil, signifying the royal priesthood that he had received by being incorporated into Christ, in his Mystical Body, which is the Church. Augustine then put on the white garment that would allow him to participate in the banquet of the Kingdom of heaven.
Monica would now be able for the first time to participate with him in the sacred mysteries, to draw near to the same table together with him to eat the same bread and drink the same wine. What else could life possibly hold in store. What more could she desire? The dream she had held onto over so many years – through penance, fasting and tears – had now come true before her very eyes.
The Lord had heard his faithful servant, and nothing remained for her now but holy rejoicing. The son to whom she had given birth amid the pains of labor, she had now brought to new birth – this time also amid suffering – to the life that does not pass away. This holy night – the night between April 24 and 25 of 387 – was Monica’s triumph.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Is our love for Christ absolute and non-negotiable? Do we value the love of Jesus more than any other love? Do we glean from the mystery of the cross the great lesson of self-surrender and self-conquest? How do we welcome the Christian disciples and God’s “little ones”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Commission Francophone Cistercienne, Tropaires des dimanches, 82 as cited in Days of the Lord, vol. 4, p.112-113.)
To lose one’s life in order to welcome Christ,
to deliver one’s self to Christ in order to meet the Father,
to find one’s self as a gift from God …
I shall follow you, Jesus; show me the way.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me.
I shall follow you, Jesus; show me the way.
Whoever refuses to take up the cross
is not worthy of me.
I shall follow you, Jesus; show me the way.
Whoever loses life because of me
will keep it.
I shall follow you, Jesus; show me the way.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for those who love Jesus above all things, for those who are ready to take up their own cross and lay down their life for the love of him. Pray for those whose love is feeble and faith weak. Open your hearts to welcome Christ in the “little ones” he is sending to visit you today. To appreciate more deeply the meaning of our Christian vocation, spend some quiet moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
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July 3, 2023: MONDAY – SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Church Is Built Upon the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets””
BIBLE READINGS
Eph 2:19-22// Jn 20:24-29
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Jn 20:24-29): “My Lord and my God!”
(Gospel Reflection by Sr. Mary Gemma Victorino, PDDM)
St. Thomas put conditions to the apostles before he would profess his faith in the Risen Lord. He wanted to touch and see the marks of Jesus' crucifixion and cause of death. And the Risen Lord gave in to his conditions. A week after the first apparition to the apostles, Jesus came again and invited Thomas: "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." He who wanted to touch Jesus was in turn touched by him and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!"
There is a “doubting Thomas” in each of us. It is but normal that in our life of faith we oftentimes seek confirmation from the Lord, even through our bodily faculties. We like to see, hear, touch, even taste and smell the presence and the goodness of the Lord especially in our “down moments”. Otherwise, we fluctuate and falter in our following of the Master.
Our Lord, in his goodness, gives in to these 'faith tests' now and then. I had one such experience lately. May 31 was the opening of our new PDDM Apostolic Center in Davao City, Southern Philippines. I came all the way from Manila to participate in this joyful event but, in the rush of preparations, I had a freak accident and suffered a second degree ankle sprain which left me immobile at the moment of the blessing of the center. As I was languishing in my pain and wondering how I could proceed to the new Center and join in the celebration, lo and behold, a poor parishioner who came around in his wheelchair saw me at that very moment. He offered his "special seat" just so I could be where my heart and body wanted to be. I was so touched by the gesture that I couldn't help thinking it was Jesus himself who came to console me.
The “doubting” Thomas became a loving, committed apostle of the Lord. In John 11:16, he professed his commitment by boldly saying: "Let us also go to die with him." Indeed he followed the Lord and witnessed to his love for him to the farthest bounds of the earth. In the middle of the VI century, an Egyptian merchant wrote how in southern India he unexpectedly met a group of Christians who informed him that they had been evangelized by the Apostle St. Thomas.
B. First Reading (Eph 2:19-22): “You are part of the building built on the foundation of the apostles.”
Today’s First Reading (Eph 2:19-22) underlines the familial and harmonious character of the Church as members of the family of God and as fellow citizens with God’s people. The Church is a community of “flesh and blood” believers, that is, the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. The construction of the Church depends on Christ, first and foremost, but it also requires the apostolic witnessing and the ministry of the prophets for viability and growth. Jesus Christ is the Church’s capstone, its crowning glory. The service of the apostles and prophets make known God’s wisdom and the saving Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Today as we celebrate the feast of Saint Thomas, we are filled with thanksgiving for the marvels God has done to build up the Church through the instrumentality of this apostle. In the following profile presented on the Internet by Wikipedia, we contemplate the growth and expansion of the Church through the evangelizing work and martyrdom of Saint Thomas the Apostle.
Saint Thomas the Apostle, also called “Doubting Thomas” or Didymus (meaning “Twin”) was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He is best known for questioning Jesus’ resurrection after death when first told of it, followed by his confession of faith as both “My Lord and my God” on seeing and touching Jesus’ tangible and physical wounded body in the Gospel of Saint John (20:28). Traditionally he is said to have traveled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, traveling as far as India. He is often regarded as the Patron Saint of India. (…)
An early third century Syriac work known as the Acts of Thomas connects the apostle’s Indian ministry with two kings, one in the north and the other in the south. According to one of the legends in the Acts, Thomas was at first reluctant to accept the mission, but the Lord appeared to him in a night vision and said, “Fear not, Thomas. Go away to India and proclaim the Word. My grace shall be with you.” But the Apostle sill demurred, so the Lord overruled the stubborn disciple by ordering circumstances so compelling that he was forced to accompany an “Indian” merchant, Abbanes, as a slave to his native place in northwest “India”, where he found himself in the service of the Indo-Parthian king, Gondophares. According to the Acts of Thomas, the apostle’s ministry resulted in many conversions throughout the kingdom, including the king and his brother.
Remains of his buildings, influenced by Greek architecture, indicate that he was a great builder. According to the legend, Thomas was a skilled carpenter and was bidden to build a palace for the king. However, the Apostle decided to teach the king a lesson by devoting the royal grant to acts of charity and thereby laying up treasure for the heavenly abode. (…)
The Acts of Thomas identifies his second mission in India with a kingdom ruled by King Mahadwa, one of the rulers of a first-century dynasty in southern India. It is most significant that, aside from a small remnant of the Church of the East in Kurdistan, the only other church to maintain a distinctive identity is the Saint Thomas Christian congregation along the Malabar Coast of Kerala State in southwest India. According to the most ancient tradition of this church, Thomas evangelized this area and then crossed to the Coromandel Coast of southeast India, where, after carrying out a second mission, he died near Madras (= Chennai). (…)
He reputedly preached to all classes of people and had about 17,000 converts, including members of the four principal castes. Later, stone crosses were erected at the places where churches were founded, and they became pilgrimage centers. In accordance with apostolic custom, Thomas ordained teachers and leaders or elders, who were reported to be the earliest ministers of the Malabar church. (…)
Saint Thomas was killed in India in 72 A.D., attaining martyrdom at Saint Thomas Mount near Mylapore (part of Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu). He was buried on the site of Chennai’s Saint Thomas Basilica in the Diocese of Saint Thomas of Mylapore … The tradition is that Thomas, having aroused the hostility of the local priests by making converts, fled to Saint Thomas’ Mount four miles (6 km) southwest of Mylapore. He was supposedly followed by his persecutors, who transfixed him with a lance as he prayed kneeling on a stone. His body was brought to Mylapore and buried inside the church he had built. The present Basilica is on this spot. It was first built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 19th.
Few relics are still kept in the church at Mylapore, Tamil Nadu, India. According to tradition, in 232 A.D., the greater part of relics of the Apostle Thomas are said to have been sent by an Indian king and brought from India to the city of Edessa (Mesopotamia) on which occasion the Syriac Acts of Thomas were written. On 27 September 2006, Pope Benedict recalled that “an ancient tradition claims that Thomas first evangelized Syria and Persia, then went on to Western India, from where also he finally reached southern India.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we act like “doubting Thomas” in low points of our life, and challenge the Lord God to give us a reason for belief in him? Do we surrender ourselves more deeply in faith to God and thus merit the beatitude: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”?
2. What role did Saint Thomas the Apostle play in the building up and growth of the Church? What is your personal contribution in the building up and growth of the Church?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Opening Prayer – Mass of the Feast of Saint Thomas)
Almighty Father,
as we honor Thomas the apostle,
let us always experience the help of his prayers.
May we have eternal life by believing in Jesus,
whom Thomas acknowledged as Lord,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“He said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (Jn 20:28) // “In him you are also being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Eph 2:19-22)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Let us renew our faith in the Risen Lord, especially in the “down moments” of our life and say to him, “My Lord and my God!” Pray for the Church in India, especially the Syro-Malabar Church whose foundation is attributed to the apostolic works of Saint Thomas. Let every kind word and deed that you do be a part of the Church’s action of building together a “dwelling place of God in the Spirit”.
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July 4, 2023: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (13)
INDEPENDENCE DAY (USA)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Masters the Raging Sea … He Is God’s Judgment against Sin”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 19:15-29 // Mt 8:23-27
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 8:23-27): “Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and there was great calm.”
One warm, beautiful morning, my Sisters accompanied me to the pier in Manila where I boarded a ship to Cebu Island. After putting my things in the cabin, I went to the upper deck and had a great time watching the activity on the pier as the crew prepared for sailing. When the ship began to move, there was the soothing sound of parting waters. I also felt the cooling sensation of the sea breeze. And then I heard something fascinating – the amplified voice of a crew in devout prayer to the Lord God who masters the storms and the raging seas, asking for blessing and protection for all of us sea travelers. I felt so peaceful and secure in that sea voyage knowing that everything had been entrusted to God who has dominion over all – even violent storms and turbulent seas.
God, the Creator of the sea and its boundaries, is the Almighty One who directs the course of each individual’s life. Everything that happens in the universe is under the power of God’s dominion and control. God has sovereign mastery over the elements, particularly over the sea, which seems difficult to control. He also manifests his power, not only over nature, but above all, over the raging inner storms in our lives.
The Gospel picture of Jesus who sleeps through a raging storm (Mk 8:23-27) is perplexing and challenging. At times we panic when we are buffeted by the storms of life, and Jesus seems asleep and unaware. At times we despair because Jesus seems to pay no heed. But the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, is in control. He is fully concerned and involved in our fear and distress. As the Omnipotent One, he can pacify the tumults and “storms” of our daily life.
Harold Buetow comments: “Life presents all kinds of storms: disease, natural disasters, epidemics, and famines; and human anger, hatred, prejudice, injustice, betrayal, and selfishness. For Christians, acceptance of Jesus is not a guarantee that we will sail on trouble-free waters. To the contrary, Jesus invites us to travel on uncharted waters and to make for unfamiliar shores – and all this as darkness falls. The risk of faith demands a radical trust that, whatever our particular storm, Jesus is present; being conscious of his presence will give us a calm peace in all the storms of our life.”
The following personal account gives insight into what trust in the Lord and a miracle of faith mean (cf. Pam Kidd in Daily Guideposts 2010, p. 72).
We are on a bus driving through an off-road thicket, deep in a moonless landscape. There is no electricity for miles, and I can see nothing as I stare out the window into the darkness. The bus rumbles to a halt, and my husband David and I and our fellow passengers stumble toward a pontoon boat. Within minutes we’re anchored in the middle of a forbidding bay. “This is the strangest tourist attraction I’ve ever seen”, I whisper nervously to David.
Earlier, after we’d arrived on the Lake of Vieques for a special holiday, our taxi driver had said, “Put the Bioluminiscent Bay at the top of your agenda.” So here we are, listening to the pilot of the boat say, “To experience the miracle of the bay, you must jump into the water.”
No one moves.
This is ridiculous. The water is black as the night. We all wait.
Suddenly David stands up and jumps into the unknown. In the pool of darkness, his body takes on a bright glow. His every movement radiates a flowing blue-green light. Mesmerized, I jump in, and others follow. I wave my arms and make angel wings and then twirl and swirl in a trail of fairy dust. By now, everyone is laughing and splashing as our every move turns the night magical. The moment seems part fantasy, part science fiction as the energy of our bodies sets trillions of microorganisms aglow.
Later, back on the boat heading for the shore, I think of the fear that wrapped around us. There in a dark bay, magic was waiting – waiting for someone who believed enough to take a chance and jump in.
Father, take away my toe-first inclinations and fill me with a leaping faith.
B. First Reading (Gn 19:15-29): “The Lord God rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 19:15-29) is about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot welcomes into his home the two angels sent by God to investigate the outcry against the two cities. All the men of Sodom, both young and old, surround Lot’s house demanding him to bring out his guests for they want to have sex with them. The actions of the people and their perversity more than confirm the charges that God has heard against them. The angels strike the perverse men with blindness and help Lot and his family escape from the doomed city. The Lord rains burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah and destroys them and the whole valley. Lot’s wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah manifests not only God’s judgment upon sin but also the presence of divine mercy. Mindful of Abraham, God’s choice means blessing and protection not only for the patriarch, but for everyone associated with him. Thus God spares Lot and his family because of Abraham.
The Israelite tradition has always seen the sin of Sodom as total injustice and depravity towards God’s law. Unfortunately the situation of today’s society seems to “out-Sodom” Sodom itself. The following article gives an insight into this (cf. “Price for Choice Is Far Too High” in Alive! June 2013, p. 4).
Journalist Jillian Keenan, in Slate Magazine, made what she called the feminist case for polygamy, that it “shows women the respect we deserve. Here’s the thing: as women, we really can make our own choices” (see page 5). Her argument for polygamy, or any form of adulterous arrangement, boils down to one point: choice.
Choice has, in fact, become the dominant “liberal” argument in issue after issue in today’s society. No-fault divorce, for example, is based on the right of a spouse to walk out of marriage and family if he or she chooses. Indeed, virtually anything in the area of sexuality, from fornication to “gender identity”, from pornography to “gay marriage”, is now subject only to choice. Choice extends to the use of recreational drugs, how we dress going out, the school we send our children to, and so on.
The case for euthanasia argues that a person has a right to choose to end his or her own life. Given this background, the “pro-choice” argument for abortion carries great cultural power, even to the point where we can blind ourselves to the fact that it involves the killing of unborn children
Regard for choice now requires that we be spared, as far as possible, the harmful consequences of our behavior. And it includes a refusal on our part to “judge” what other people do. “It’s his/her choice” is enough to end almost any moral debate. (…)
Looking at it more closely, however, we see that choice is simply “my preference, what I want”. Pushed to the full expression, it is the ruthless self-assertion of the more or less disconnected individual. But putting it so bluntly exposes the fact that society is becoming less a community and more an arena where people compete fiercely to get what they want. This soon leads to rule by the powerful, involving emotional blackmail, bullying, various forms of manipulation, lying (now the rule in Irish politics?), even violence.
Uneasy at such a development we desperately resort to notions like right, equality, tolerance, pluralism, “compassion”. These give the impression of reason-based morality but are, to a large extent, ethical fictions with no substance, fig leaves to hide the crudity of our self-will. “It’s my right!” still sounds more acceptable to us than “I want it”, even if we know they amount to the same thing.
The only way out of this situation is a return to true objective morality, the recognition of good and evil ultimately grounded in the notion of divine creation. However, we may not want a “way out”. Being able to devote ourselves to our own desires, with the approval of society, is certainly attractive in the short term. That it leads to immense misery in broken homes, for example, and is paid for by the lives of countless unborn children, is unfortunate. But that’s just the price to be paid for choice. It remains to be seen, however, how long it will take us to realize that this price is far too high.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we feel abandoned and neglected by Jesus when the life-storms are violent and he seems to be “sleeping”? Do we panic? Or rather, do we believe in faith that God is in control? Do we place our trust in Jesus whom even wind and sea obey?
2. What lesson do we derive from the Bible account of Sodom and Gomorrah? How is divine mercy present in this situation? How is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah relevant for the people of today?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving God,
your Son Jesus Christ slept through the raging sea.
When life-threatening storms buffet us,
help us to call on Jesus our Savior.
He is the powerful Lord who masters the winds and the raging seas.
May our faith be steadfast and strong.
May we hold on to you and to Jesus
as we journey through the turbulence and the violence of this world.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
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God our Father,
we praise and bless you for your loving mercy and forbearance.
Forgive us our sins and perversion,
our injustice and depravity,
and our false “idols” and selfish choices.
Save us from the punishment that our sins merit.
Teach us to offer reparation for our wickedness.
Lead us, loving Father, on the right path,
on the narrow way that leads to life.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Mt 8:26b) //“He was mindful of Abraham.” (Gn 19:29)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Offer comfort and assistance to those whose faith is wavering and whose lives are deeply upset by trials and difficulties. // As civil authorities continue to legislate laws that are contrary to nature and the common good and negate God’s benevolent plan, pray that the Christian disciples today may live with integrity and follow the dictates of their moral conscience and that they may be willing to undergo the sacrifice and persecution that Christian commitment entails.
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July 5, 2023: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (13); SAINT ANTHONY ZACCARIA, Priest; SAINT ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL (USA)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Fight the Spiritual Warfare … He Is the Fulfillment of God’s Promise”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 21:5, 8-20a // Mt 8:28-34
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 8:28-34): “Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
(Gospel Reflection by Phil McCarty, St. Christopher Parish, San Jose, CA-USA)
In today’s Gospel (Mt 8:28-34) we read of Jesus casting out demons - demons so savage that no one dared to approach the demoniacs. I am struck by the fact that the demons immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and they were threatened by Him. In the constant struggle of good versus evil, do we recognize that goodness is a threat to evil? Evil seeks to intimidate goodness, for evil cannot flourish when encountered by goodness.
We all encounter evil in one form or another in our daily lives, whether in news reports of violent acts carried out in our community and around the world, or on a more personal level as we are tempted and sin. As faithful Christians we are strengthened by our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We are called to be a force for good in the face of evil. When we encounter an unjust act, do we stand up for justice? Do we pray that those who choose a path of evil will turn to the Lord, repent, and be saved? Do we seek the sacrament of reconciliation to cast the demons of sin from our own lives?
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The following excerpt from “Deliverance and Healing Ministry: Battle Between Good and Evil”, an article by Fr. Mike Lastiri (cf. Central California Catholic Life, February 2015, p. 11) gives deeper insight into the meaning of today’s Gospel episode (Mt 8:28-34).
Demonic possessions of human persons have long been a part of tradition in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions. These, the largest and greatest of the world’s religions, have long held that demons have the power to overtake the will of a person, provided they are open and willing. Exorcisms are ritual actions used by the different religious tradition to exorcise demons from a person. The Gospels have many stories, i.e. Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39). Jesus has command over the demons, which causes fear in them, and even fear among those not possessed. In our Catholic tradition, the Rite of Exorcism has been utilized for centuries to expel demons. Bishops have authorized special priests that were especially trained to do exorcisms.
Recently, the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship revised the Rite of Exorcism for use in the modern day. While the rite itself has changed little since the earlier rite used before Vatican II, the rite allows the bishops to choose diocesan priests to celebrate the exorcisms. The rite demands before anyone is considered possessed by a demon, that a full psychological evaluation is completed, and that medical professionals have rendered that they can do nothing more. The bishop is to be fully aware of every step of the process before the actual exorcism is ever authorized. As the Chief Shepherd of the local Church, representing Christ the High Priest, the role of the diocesan bishop is paramount in these matters. (…)
Should we live in fear? No. Most of us, if living a good life, regularly receiving the Sacraments, having a deep love of Jesus, and being people of prayer and charity, have nothing to fear. Demons are terrified of faithful Christians, Jews and Muslims. If one ever wonders about such things, remember that power of the name of Jesus! He is the ultimate enemy of Satan and his armies. His name is feared and cannot be touched. The name of Mary, our Blessed Mother, is also feared by the evil one.
B. First Reading (Gn 21:5, 8-20): “No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 21:5, 8-20a) is about the birth of Isaac, the son born to Sarah in her old age in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, and the poignant departure of Hagar and Ishmael, the son Abraham fathered through the slave girl Hagar. This story underlines Abraham’s obedience to God who directs the course of salvation history by showing his favor and compassion both to the “child of promise” and the child of Hagar. Sarah’s jealous concern for her son Isaac leads to the demand that Abraham expel Hagar and Ishmael. The distraught Abraham gives in to her demands only when God tells him to do so and when God assures him that Ishmael would also be a great nation being also Abraham’s offspring. Responding to their cry of distress in the barren wilderness, God saves Hagar and Ishmael from death by sending his messenger of salvation. God is with Ishmael as he grows up. Ishmael marries an Egyptian woman and becomes the father of camel nomads (Ishmaelites) dwelling in the wilderness between Palestine and Egypt. However, God’s promise of a covenant people comes down through the line of Isaac.
The Jews, the Christians and the Muslims are all descendants of Abraham, our father in faith. Led by Pope Francis and together with the Israeli and Palestinian Presidents, the encounter of prayer for peace on June 8, 2014 at the Vatican Gardens was an important interreligious dialogue and a significant step on the path of unity and peace (cf. L’Osservatore Romano, June 13, 2014, p. 7-9).
From the Address by Shimon Peres, Israeli President: “On this moving occasion, brimming with hope and full of faith, let us all raise with you, Your Holiness, a call for peace between religions, between nations, between communities, and between fellow men and women. Let true peace become our legacy soon and swiftly.”
From the Address by Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President: “O Lord, bring comprehensive and just peace to our country and regions so that our people and the peoples of Middle East and the whole world would enjoy the fruit of peace, stability and coexistence. We want peace for us and for our neighbors. We seek prosperity and peace of mind for ourselves and for others alike. O Lord, answer our prayers and make successful our endeavors for you are most just, most merciful, Lord of the Worlds.”
From the Address of Pope Francis: “Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we aware of the constant struggle of good versus evil? Do we recognize that goodness is a threat to evil? In the spiritual warfare, which side are we on?
2. Do we mirror God’s compassionate stance for all? Do we promote interreligious dialogue and peace among nations?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(By Phil McCarty, St. Christopher Parish, San Jose, CA-USA)
Lord Jesus,
grant us the wisdom and courage
to face the evil we encounter,
whether great or small,
so that the goodness that comes from you
will prevail.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“The whole town came out to meet Jesus.” (Mt 8:34) // “God hears the boy’s cry.” (Gn 21:17).
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Let us resolve to fight the evils and injustices in today’s society. By our life and example, let us promote interreligious dialogue and peace among nations.
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July 6, 2013: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (13); SAINT MARIA GORETTI, Virgin, Martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Has Power to Heal … He Is the Perfect Sacrifice”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 22:1b-19 // Mt 9:1-8
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 9:1-8): “They glorified God who had given such authority to men.”
(By Mario Domino, St. Christopher Parish, San Jose, CA-USA)
Matthew’s description of the healing of the paralytic is not as elaborate as Mark’s (2:1-12). Matthew was more intent on proving Jesus’ messianic fulfillment: the establishment of a new kingdom. In order to do that, Jesus proves that he has power and authority.
Matthew shows that Jesus cures not only physical ills but, most significantly, spiritual ills. First, he tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven him. Then, showing he can discern people’s thoughts, he rebukes the scribes by telling the paralytic to take up his stretcher and walk.
In a very convincing manner, he shows us that just as he has the authority to forgive sins, he also has the power to cure physical ills.
From this reading, we should take solace in the restorative powers of Jesus. He can indeed alleviate our physical ills but, more importantly, he does forgive our sins
***
Jesus Christ is the “holistic healer” par excellence. In imitation of Christ, his disciples endeavor to heal broken lives through “holistic” ways as illustrated in the following account (cf. Gladys Gonzales, M.M., “Healing Broken Lives” in Maryknoll, July/August 2014, p. 24-28).
Much of Tanzania’s landscape is surrounded by large boulders, which entrepreneurs are removing to construct buildings. The process is leaving huge holes, like craters, rendering the land unusable, causing massive erosion, and pushing out wildlife, flora and fauna. Added to that is the plight of the women who labor to break the stones to construct the buildings. (…)
Many of the women have lung problems. Many are completely blind or have impaired vision caused by the stone chips, particles and dust covering not only their faces but their whole bodies as they work day after day under a blazing sun. They have no hope of ever leaving this work until their bodies completely give out. I am working to help them holistically, that is, restoring their whole being, body and spirit, to health.
During my 18 years as a missioner in Tanzania I have discovered the importance of holistic healing working not only with women’s groups but also youth groups and children with HIV … I came to understand that the whole person is involved in any activity. That is what is meant by holistic. So I moved from formal teaching to informal teaching and the art of holistic healing. I believe that through nurturing, listening and responding to the deeper wisdom of our whole being, we can heal ourselves and the world. (…)
As a Maryknoll Sister, I am committed to carry on our charism: “to be an active participant in the mission of God: a mission of peace, healing, wholeness and love.”
B. First Reading (Gn 22:1b-19): “The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 22:1b-19) is about the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith. In the Bible, testing proves the faith of God’s people. In today’s episode, God puts Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, “his only son, whom he loves”. Isaac, the reward of Abraham’s inchoative faith, becomes the test of the same faith. What is demanded of Abraham is the surrender of that faith’s only basis: Isaac – his one thin line of hope on the divine promise. God’s “test” demands the complete surrender of his “beloved son”. Abraham’s obedient response does not withhold anything. He offers not only the sacrifice of his “beloved son”, but above all the sacrifice of his will. Abraham learns and relearns that only faith in God is the way to prosperity and posterity. Abraham passes the test with flying colors. God confirms anew the covenant promise of numerous descendants and his abundant blessings upon them. Abraham’s “sacrifice” prefigures the heavenly Father’s own perfect sacrifice of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ on the altar of the cross.
Abraham’s obedient faith response challenges us to trust God fully and to surrender totally to his mysterious but benevolent will. The following story illustrates what it means to surrender to the divine will in a spirit of sacrifice (cf. Teresa Anne Arries, “Place of Sacrifice” in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al, Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc. 1997, p. 200-204)
(…) In the examining room, I had looked at Kim’s sweet face, distorted with pain. Her anguish wrung my heart. Holding my crying baby, I turned and faced the doctor. “If, if! That’s all I’ve been hearing for 16 months. Kim has had these painful shots every two weeks since she was born. You can see how she screams and cries. And all you can tell me is, ‘if’?”
Understanding the stress and fear behind my outburst, the doctor had not taken offense. “Her white blood cell count is the lowest it has ever been”, he said gently, holding the lab report in his hand. “The gamma globulin shots have helped her to survive her bout of illness, but her own body is not producing white blood cells in large enough quantities. I can’t give you a miracle. Kim will either start producing enough white cells or she won’t.” (…)
Tired and numb, I had returned home. Hearing Kim stir in her crib, I tiptoed in to check on her. In a deep sleep, she sobbed softly as she painfully moved her legs. The shots would bother her for several days. (…)
I went to the kitchen and began washing the breakfast dishes. The warm water felt wonderful on my cold hands as I twirled the soap suds, my mind beginning to wander. I was remembering when Kim became ill. “I wasn’t afraid, at first, I thought, as I spoke quietly in my mind to God. I knew you could heal. There is nothing you can’t do. If my baby was ill, you would heal her. Nothing more simple, right? Nothing more simple. I reached for the pan on the stove and started fiercely scrubbing it. Okay God, so what’s the deal? I know I believe and have faith in you. I have prayed. Our church has prayed. The elders have laid hands on Kim. We’ve studied your word, appropriated your promises and awaited your timing. What do you want? Why won’t you heal my baby? No answer came.
The dishes done, I dried my hands. In utter despondency, I went back to the living room. If my silent God had deserted me, where else was I to turn? My eyes fell on my Bible on the coffee table. A verse from Genesis 22 slipped into my mind, stunning me with its impact. I quickly opened my Bible to make sure that I had remembered it correctly. I had. The verse read, And he said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”
I knew then, with absolute certainty that God was asking for Kim. My mind was suddenly clear as never before, and I realized that I had been placing my love for my little girl above my love for God. I had been asking for my will. My will. Not God’s. Not his sovereign choice. A clay pot had been railing at its maker, not falling in submission at his holy feet.
Realizing that I’d been manipulating God, I saw that I’d been doing all the “right things” so he would be required to answer my pleadings. I had never really considered the possibility that he might ask for Kimmie. Surely, sweet Jesus, you’re not asking this of me? Not my baby’s life. How easy for you to heal her. Just a touch. Oh, my Lord and my God, not this!
Even as I spoke, though, I knew the answer. Only total submission to God’s sovereign will would do. In my breaking heart I built an altar. Upon this altar I placed my only, beloved child as truly and sacrificially as Abraham had ever placed Isaac on the altar of Moriah. Oh, my Lord, I place my trust in thee. If you are going to take my baby, take her. I can’t fight you any longer. Forgive me, Lord, for my lack of trust and obedience. I don’t understand why you are asking for my little girl, but I do love and trust you. Help me in the time ahead.
A profound peace filled me. The battle was over. The victory won. I let go of all the anger and fear that I’d been living with for so many months. I would rest in the perfect will of God for my life.
Six weeks later, Kim and I were at Dr. Rubinstein’s office again. Kim had not been ill during all that time. She sat up bright and alert in my arms, radiant with health. “I’ve never seen anything like this”, said Dr. Rubinstein with a puzzled look in his face. “Kim’s white blood cell count is absolutely normal. This is impossible. It couldn’t have changed so quickly.”
But it had. And in my heart I knew why. As Isaac had been returned to Abraham, so had my little girl been given back to me. My Lord was the Great Physician and a Father to be trusted.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we turn to Jesus Lord and seek healing? Do we help our sick brothers and sisters to come to Jesus and be healed? Do we care for their spiritual-physical needs?
2. Are we willing to make the Abraham-like sacrifice in our life? Do we trust the loving God enough to surrender our will to him?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
we turn to you and seek total healing.
Forgive us our sins
and heal our weary soul and broken spirit.
Let our ailing bodies be restored to health,
according to the Father’s compassionate will.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
(Cf. Prayer after the Second Reading – Easter Vigil)
God and Father of all who believe in you,
you promised Abraham
that he would become the father of all nations,
and through the death and resurrection of Christ
you fulfill that promise:
everywhere throughout the world
you increase your chosen people.
May we respond to your call
by joyfully accepting your invitation to the new life of grace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Your sins are forgiven … Rise and walk.” (Mt 9:5) //“Because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly.” (Gn 22:16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for a sick person and, if possible, assist that person to have access to the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick. // Pray to God for the grace to be able to submit to his saving will. To help you in developing this obedient stance of faith, dedicate some precious moments of the day to meditative prayer.
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July 7, 2023: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (13)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes for Our Healing … He Is Font of Consolation”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 23:1-4, 19: 24:1-8, 62-67 // Mt 9:9-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 9:9-13): “Those who are well do not need a physician. I desire mercy not sacrifice.”
(Gospel Reflection by Rosemary Farrell, St. Christopher Parish, San Jose, CA-USA)
This short passage (Mt 9:9-13) contains the heart of the gospel message, the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is LOVE. The calling of Matthew to discipleship is of great significance to us all. As a tax collector, Matthew belonged to a highly disreputable profession and would have been regarded as a social outcast by his fellow Jews. The prior calling by Jesus of the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James and John would not have excited public interest, but Matthew was conspicuous because of his despised profession and because of the other outcasts who associated with him. However, all were called by Jesus in their failings and imperfections, whether these were highly visible and open to public scrutiny, as in the case of Matthew, or not; so too have we all been called in our imperfections, whether they have received public scrutiny, if we happen to be politicians or celebrities, or are known only to ourselves and to God.
Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. (David Haas)
This is the love of God, calling us just as we are, to be illumined in the light of His love; to be healed and transformed and to become His love to the world.
Even if your sins are scarlet, they can become snow white; even if they are as wool dyed crimson, they can be white as fleece. (Isaiah 1:18)
While dining with Matthew and others who are deemed outcasts, Jesus overhears the skepticism of some of the Pharisees. He refers them to the scripture that says, “It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices” and tells them to go and find out what that means. Here, Jesus is referring to the words of the prophet Hosea:
What I want from you is plain and clear: I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me. (Hosea 6:6)
Hosea was not alone in uttering words like these; we hear them also from his contemporary, fellow prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Micah who completes his exhortation with the famous dictum:
The Lord has told us what is good. What He requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. (Micah 6:8)
How do these words resonate with us today? Kindness, justice, humility and above all, love, we can certainly understand. We have each been called to know and love the God who is love, and to become His love for others; through this love, all the fruits of the Spirit will grow in us.
Hosea and the other prophets spoke out against animal sacrifice which was still practiced in the Temple in Jerusalem as atonement for sin in Jesus’ time and would continue until the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD. The Pharisees, who were critical of Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners, would have zealously performed the Temple sacrifices, but in referencing Hosea Jesus tells them that external duties and observances are inferior to Knowledge of God and the love and compassion that emanates from that Knowledge. We may be tempted to dismiss the word “sacrifice”, in the prophetical writings that Jesus referred to, as something belonging to the distant past and not applicable to us today as long as we do not allow external religious observances to take precedence over compassion, kindness and mercy towards our brothers and sisters. Perhaps we should contemplate the suffering of animals in factory farms and the billions of God’s creatures who are still sacrificed each day, no longer as sin offerings but to provide us with food that we do not need; it is easy to survive and be healthy on foods from purely non-animal sources.
Our task must be to widen the circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. (Albert Einstein)
B. First Reading (Gn 23:1-4, 19: 24:1-8, 62-67): “In his love for Rebekah, Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 23:1-4, 19: 24:1-8, 62-67) helps us to see the ongoing spiritual journey of Abraham, our father in faith, and his humble collaboration in the fulfillment of the divine marvelous plan. When Sarah dies at the age of 157 years, Abraham buys a field from the Hittites that would serve as a burial place, not only for Sarah, but also for Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah and Jacob. For the first time Abraham actually owns a piece of the Promised Land. Abraham’s possession of a portion of the land stands as a pledge of the future possession of the land in its entirety.
Abraham’s last task now is to ensure that his son Isaac will have a spouse and thus promote the divine promise of numerous descendants for the patriarch. He entrusts a senior servant of his household with the task of finding a wife for Isaac from among his clan in northern Mesopotamia, and not from the people of Canaan with whom they live. He also charges the servant not to bring Isaac back by any means to the land from where the patriarch migrated. Abraham makes his servant swear by his genital organs, considered the transmitters of life, and thus adds greater binding force to the oath. The servant dutifully carries out his task, confident in the faith that he witnesses in Abraham.
The good and reliable servant thus places everything in God’s hand. At the well outside the city of his destination, the servant finds Rebekah, a beautiful young girl and still a virgin, the one designated by God to be Isaac’s wife. The servant recognizes Rebekah as God’s choice when she obliges to give him a drink from her jar and then she draws water from the well for his ten camels to drink. The servant is even more certain of God’s guidance when he discovers that Rebekah belongs to Abraham’s clan. After the customary negotiation with the family, the servant brings Rebekah, Abraham’s grandniece, to Canaan to become Isaac’s wife. In his love for Rebekah, Isaac finds solace after the death of his mother Sarah. Thus the progressing line of the covenant promise and its fulfillment moves on to a further stage of development.
The love of Isaac and Rebekah is a font of consolation. It prefigures the joy and comfort that spring forth from the love relationship between Christ and his Bride the Church. As Christian disciples we too must be a source of comfort and consolation for one another. The following story, circulated on the Internet, illustrates how love brings consolation.
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his three-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.” He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, “Don’t you know when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside it?”
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy!” The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl and he begged for her forgiveness.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the man kept that gold box for many years, and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How does the call and response of the tax collector Matthew impinge on you? Do we put our trust in the Divine Physician who calls us to be healed and transformed and to become his love in the world?
2. How do the examples of Abraham and his dutiful servant inspire you in promoting the fulfillment of God’s saving plan? Do we value the value of marriage and family life? Do we value the Catholic teaching on marriage and family life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving Jesus, Divine Physician,
you did not come to call the righteous but sinners.
You call us just as we are.
Your healing love transforms us
that we may become in turn
your healing love to the world.
We give you thanks and praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
O loving Lord,
we thank you for guiding the life of Abraham,
our father in faith.
We thank you for your protective hands
upon Isaac and all the other descendants of our beloved patriarch.
We thank you for directing all human events
toward the fulfillment of your covenant promise.
Help us to be a vital part of salvation history
and to be a means of comfort and consolation for others.
We adore and praise you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mt 9:13) //“In his love for her, Isaac found solace.” (Gn 24:67)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Meditate on the graciousness of God’s call and of the ongoing response we need to give to him. Through your compassionate ways, let the healing love of Jesus be felt by the persons close to you. // Do something to console a family member, a friend, or anyone who is lonely or grieving. By word, example and deeds, promote the Catholic teaching on the sanctity of marriage and family life.
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July 8, 2023: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (13); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the New Wine and Bridegroom … He Is from Jacob’s Line”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 27:1-5, 15-29 // Mt 9:14-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 9:14-17): “Can the wedding guests mourn a long as the bridegroom is with them?”
In the reading (Mt 9:14-17), John the Baptist’s disciples, probably prompted by the Pharisees, ask Jesus why they and the Pharisees fast, but his disciples do not. Jesus retorts with a rhetorical question: “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” In today’s Gospel, Jesus underlines a deeper truth that goes beyond the question of fasting. In the Bible, the marriage feast is a symbol of the kingdom of God. Jesus - the Bridegroom – invites us into the fullness of the kingdom, depicted as a marriage feast. As the Bridegroom of the Church, he brings in the radical newness of the reign of God. The radical newness is depicted in the image of “new wine” in fresh wineskins and of a “piece of unshrunken cloth” that will tear an old cloth if patched into it. Elements of Judaism that were either a temporary dispensation (e.g. the animal sacrifice) or a mere preparation for something better are surpassed by the Bridegroom Jesus Christ. He blesses us in a new way that shatters old categories and conventions. In his public ministry, Jesus did not require his disciples to fast the way the Pharisees and the disciples of John did. In the post-resurrection Church, “fasting”, with its many expressions, is still appropriate as long as it looks forward to the culmination of the kingdom. Fasting is done in the spirit of the Church-Bride waiting for Christ-Bridegroom’s return at the end time.
The radical newness of the kingdom and the “fasting” it entails can be perceived in the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (cf. Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom, ed. Carol Kelly-Gangi, New York: Barnes and Noble, 2006, p. 97, 69, 64).
My sister and I used to read the same books. One day my sister read a book and passed it to me. As soon as I read two pages, I felt it would be a sin to read that book. Later I asked my sister whether she had read the book. She replied that she had and had found nothing wrong in it. There was no sin in my sister reading the book, but in conscience I could not read it. (…)
By our vow of chastity we renounce God’s natural gift to women to become mothers – for the greater gift – that of being virgins for Christ, of entering into a much more beautiful motherhood. (…)
I can’t bear being photographed but I make use of everything for the glory of God. When I allow a person to take a photograph, I tell Jesus to take one soul to heaven out of Purgatory.
B. First Reading (Gn 27:1-5, 15-29): “Jacob displaced his brother and usurped his blessing.”
We hear in today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 27:1-5, 15-29) about Isaiah’s blessing of Jacob. In the ancient world, deathbed blessings are believed to be particularly effective. A blessing or a curse, once spoken, has a life of its own and could not be recalled. The blessing that the old and blind Isaac gives to Jacob is irrevocable. The blessing, however, has been obtained through a scheme instigated by Rebekah to deprive Esau of his birthright. But the God who entered into a covenant relationship with Abraham is able to write salvation history even on crooked lines. Indeed, the Lord God cannot be bound by the conventional arrangement that gives preference to the firstborn. Jacob, despite his unworthiness and the odds against him, becomes the object of divine choice to perpetuate the saving plan. Indeed, the God of Abraham is the Lord of history.
Nonetheless, the effect of Jacob’s deceit is painful and shattering. The aggrieved older brother Esau bears a murderous grudge against Jacob. Rebekah is compelled to send away Jacob for his own safety to her brother Laban in Haran (North Mesopotamia). Esau, however, is not a totally innocent victim. Esau has brought this on himself by irresponsibly selling his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup and by his wanton intermarriage with Canaanites. Esau married the Hittite girls, Judith and Basemath, who made life miserable for Isaac and Rebecca. No wonder, Rebekah wants to secure Isaac’s blessing for Jacob and not for his twin Esau!
Today’s account helps us to consider the existence of family discord and squabbles that need healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. Each member needs to invest oneself in promoting the joy and goodness of the family spirit. The following story, circulate on the Internet, gives us an insight into this.
“Loving Family”
I ran into a stranger as he passed by.
“Oh, excuse me please”, was my reply.
He said, “Please excuse me too.
I just wasn’t watching for you.”
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way, and we said good-bye.
But at home, a different story is told,
how we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
my son stood beside me, very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
“Move out of the way”, I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn’t realize how harshly I’d spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God’s still small voice came to me and said,
“While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor.
You’ll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise.
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.”
By this time, I felt very small.
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed.
“Wake up, little one, wake up”, I said.
“Are these the flowers you picked for me?”
He smiled, “I found ‘em, out by the tree.
I picked ‘em because they’re pretty like you.
I knew you’d like ‘em, especially the blue.”
I said, “Son, I’m sorry for the way I acted today.
I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way.”
He said, “Mom, that’s okay.
I love you anyway.”
I said, “Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do I realize the radical newness of the kingdom of God that Jesus brings? How do I live out the radical newness of the kingdom?
2. Have we ever committed abuse, deceit, injustice and hurt to the people whom we love … to the people close to us? How do we feel about it? Do we try to rectify the harm we have done?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are the Bridegroom of the Church.
You call us to share in the feast of your kingdom.
You offer us to savor the “new wine” in fresh wineskins.
Teach us to practice true “fasting” on behalf of your kingdom.
Help us to express in our life
the beauty of the Gospel
and the radical newness that your life brings.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
you are kind and forgiving.
We are deeply sorry for the hurt and injustice
we have caused our family members
and the people close to us.
Grant us the gift of healing and reconciliation.
Lead us on the right path
and into the peace and joy of your kingdom.
We bless and praise you
for you are our gracious God, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Pour new wine into fresh new wineskins.” (Mt 9:17) // The Lord, your God, let things turn out well with me.” (Gn 27:20)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Examine the actions and choices in your life that are not “new wine” in new wineskins and ask the Lord for the grace to overcome them. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, carry out the “fasting” (e.g. from excessive use of digital media, etc.) that will benefit you spiritually and promote the kingdom of God. // Resolve to be more kind, gentle, patient and thoughtful to your family members and the people close to you.
*** *** ***
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US