A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 22, n.10)
Week 5 in Ordinary Time: February 4-10, 2024
(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: January 28 – February 3, 2024 please go to ARCHIVES Series 21 and click on “Ordinary Week 4”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: January February 4-10, 2024.)
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February 4, 2024: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Our Healing Lord”
BIBLE READINGS
Jb 7:1-4, 6-7 // 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 // Mk 1:29-39
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:29-39): “Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases.”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:29-39), the paschal victory of Jesus is prefigured in the healing he carries out on behalf of Simon’s mother-in-law who lay ill with fever, and the many others who are sick with various diseases, as well as those who are possessed by demons. The healing ministry of Jesus is a sign that the kingdom of wholeness has come. By his mission of healing, he shows to the suffering of all times that sickness, suffering and death do not have the ultimate word. Jesus is the ultimate healer. The healings Jesus carried out in his public ministry symbolize the tremendous benevolence of God and the ultimate healing that Jesus would accomplish by his passion and sacrificial death on the cross. By his ministry to the sick, Jesus proclaims the Good News of salvation and the loving God’s victory over death and evil.
The “dawn” of Jesus is poised in earnest towards greater intimacy with the loving Father and the proclamation of the Gospel. The evangelist Mark narrates: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mk 1:35). The saving ministry of the healing Lord is sustained by his life of prayer and personal dialogue with the Father. Indeed, the ability to be enlightened in his core decisions for God’s kingdom is made possible by his profound communion with the Father in a continual relationship of prayer. The final sentence in today’s Gospel reading: “So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee” (Mk 1:39) is a summation of Christ’s healing mission and expresses the irresistible force of his messianic vocation.
The mystery of suffering continues to touch us daily to our very core. This is illustrated in the following testimony, “My Journey of Healing”, written by Elizabeth Tarlit Meneses in 2008. She died in 2012, but her personal experience of “healing” is inspiring.
As a child, I was taught to pray before I go to bed. I would pray that my family and I would be blessed with good health and long life. My mother would tell me that the more I prayed, GOD would listen. He would remember me among many.
After my diagnosis in 2005, I asked, “Why has GOD abandoned me?” Has he not been listening to my prayers? “Why”, I would ask myself over and over, the tears streaming down my face. I felt alone and scared, not just for myself but also for my children. How can he not consider my children?
The symptoms began after having my second child. My stomach would hurt. I thought it might be ulcers. At that time, I was dealing with many stresses in my life. My doctor thought that it could be Acid Reflux due to the stress. Because I was young, she ruled out the possibility of it being anything else. She prescribed antacids and the pain would subside. As time passed, the pain would return with intensity. It would wake me from sleep and I would spend nights pacing until the pain subsided. My doctor still said it was due to Acid Reflux. In the latter months of 2005, the pain became unbearable. It became more consistent and frequent. I experienced not just ordinary pain, but such an unbearable pain that I would perspire and shake, sometimes feeling light-headed. I tried seeing another doctor and he confirmed the diagnosis of my original doctor, Acid Reflux Disease. So, I continued taking the medication. It would relieve the pain, but it would always come back. It came to the point where the medication ceased to work. I sought for a third opinion. Finally, I found a doctor, who was aggressive enough to run the appropriate test to see what was causing my pain.
He requested that an ultrasound should be done on my abdomen. The results changed my life. It was a “doozie”. I thought I heard wrong. They had found a tumor in my pancreas. He scheduled me for more tests. I had a laparoscopy done that confirmed there was a tumor in my pancreas that measured about 10 cm and that there were lesions on my liver and colon as well. My surgeon also confirmed that I was bleeding inside due to the tumor burrowing itself into my stomach. I needed surgery. They removed three-quarters of my stomach but could not remove the tumor. They said that not only was the tumor malignant but, unfortunately, the tumor was also too close to the aorta and covered with blood arteries. It would be too risky to remove. I was appointed an oncologist.
I had my first consultation with my oncologist. It wasn’t what I expected. He said that I had a rare form of cancer. The good news was that it was slow-growing. The doctor informed me that there was a possibility that they could shrink the tumor with chemotherapy. I thought to myself, okay, if I need chemotherapy, I’ll do it. Bad news is that he had never treated this type of cancer before, therefore, was unsure. So, he referred me to a specialist at UCSF.
The doctors at UCSF told me that there was no type of chemotherapy that can battle my type of cancer. I would have to try to see if I was eligible for clinical studies. Their prognosis was slim. No guarantees. They stated statistics, saying that the life span of a patient with this type of cancer can be years, months or days. They said that at this time, the best thing to do was to wait and observe the tumor. It hit me. The hopelessness and the anger possessed me like nothing else has ever done. Not only did I not have the option of removing the tumor, but I did not have the option of treatment as well. Have you ever felt like running, running so fast and so far that you think you can avoid dealing with the realities of life? I felt so lost.
Have I done something wrong that I deserve this? Is GOD punishing me? I remember dropping to my knees and begging for forgiveness. “Anything but this … please!” I would cry and ask, what will happen to my children? They are still so young. “Please, don’t let them grow up without their mother”, I would beg.
At that time, my parents were helping me get through this. I didn’t realize until then how blessed I am to have wonderful and supportive parents. My mother would try to keep me active so that I would not dwell on the negative possibilities. She would take me to church and ask me to pray … pray as I have never prayed before. She said to pray with my heart and my tears, and ask God for help. So, every night I would pray with her. She would tell me to pray, ask and let go. I would pray for strength and courage, for guidance and for faith, faith that He would take care of me and I will be okay. “Whatever is in your plans for me Lord, I will accept, but please give me the strength and the courage. I place my fears in your hands. Guide me so that I would know what to do. Please, help me.”
I believe that this is where GOD held his hands out to me and led me through my journey of healing. Shortly thereafter, I found myself in the lobby of Valley Cancer Institute in Los Angeles, California. They are my vessel of hope. When no one else said they could help me, they dedicated themselves to my care and healing. It was long and tedious. It involved day to day treatments of hyperthermia, radiation and 9 months of chemotherapy. I had to be separated from my home and my family. It was very hard to endure but, at least, my parents were there to bring me comfort. Slowly, the pain began to subside and I was gaining my strength back after two months of treatment. This was good.
This experience has been like a roller coaster ride. I had good days and bad. I was given good news and bad news. There were days when the fear and the doubt that the treatment would not work consumed me. Praying for strength, the fear that took hold was replaced with anger and the courage to be strong. “I was not going to let this rule me.” That was my mantra. It’s funny how anger gives you the strength to fight, and I had to fight for the sake of my children. But I could not have done it without receiving courage from GOD’s graces.
After two years of undergoing treatment, I can finally say that I am as healthy as I can be. There is a continuous battle within me, between allowing the fear of dying to consume me or to live my life to the fullest, accepting the fact that my life is in GOD’s hands. My only refuge is prayer. The power of prayer has enlightened me.
I remember my mom saying to me one day that the things you experience in life are a trial, a trial of your faith in him. Be strong and believe. In the beginning, I thought that he had left me to suffer alone, but I now realize that he has always been with me. He took me through a “detour” in life to realize the path that would lead me closer to him.
Each day is a blessing. Each waking moment is a gift. Every cross you carry makes you stronger. Every prayer is answered; you just have to listen. These are the lessons that I have learned in my journey to healing. Knowing that the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is very slim, for me to be able to write about the experiences in my journey is a miracle … a gift from GOD.
With the selfless acts of love and support from my friends, family, the community and their endless prayers, I could not have endured the difficulties of this experience. Without GOD’s graces of strength and courage, I would have succumbed to hopelessness and fear. I am truly grateful and humbled by everyone’s unending prayers and well wishes, their gesture of encouragement and their concern for my well-being.
B. First Reading (Jb 7:1-4, 6-7): “I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.”
My mother’s friend was married to a military officer. They were such a loving couple that they became a model of what marital bliss meant. But when she was unable to give him a child, the husband left her and lived with another woman. My mother’s friend was devastated. She turned against God and cursed him. “If there is a caring God, why did this happen to me?” she wept angrily. Beset with many problems, a benefactor dryly bid us goodbye and said that she had transferred to another church. She had ceased to be a Catholic. She taunted us that our prayers on her behalf did not work. One good friend suffered one disaster after another: loss of wealth, cancer, suicide in the family, etc. I am united with her in her sufferings and pray that the grace of God may be with her to strengthen her, but at times I have a gnawing fear that she may not be able to persevere.
These cases illustrate the reality of human suffering, which is the topic of today’s Old Testament passage. The First Reading (Jb 7:1-4, 6-7) presents the futility of life and depicts the anguish of a person burdened with pain and affliction. Job - a blameless, upright, God-fearing person who avoids evil - is subjected to trials and unmerited suffering. Against the intense backdrop of human misery personified in Job, the picture of Jesus Christ – the Good News in person - comes to the fore.
The experience of Job transcends time and space and his struggle against despair is exceedingly real. In moments of affliction, it is easy to conclude that God is distant and uninvolved. It is tempting to succumb to misery. The experience of pain and suffering confronts us as it did Job and the people of Jesus’ times. However, in his very person, Jesus has assumed and experienced to the utmost degree the pain, desolation, and abandonment of every Job in human history. Jesus, the Son of God, comes for our healing. In his healing ministry is the “Good News” that God is there for us in our suffering, pain and sorrow. In the paschal event of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the painful experience of every Job is brought to a wholesome conclusion and glorious resolution. Indeed, Jesus, the ultimate figure of the deeply afflicted Job, has sanctified our sufferings and made them redemptive.
C. Second Reading (1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23): “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.”
Today’s Second Reading (1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23) underlines the theme of the exigency of Gospel proclamation. An apostolic fire burns in the heart of Paul: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” Unfaithfulness to this apostolic imperative would prevent the broken “Jobs” of every time from experiencing the healing touch of God’s kingdom, which has been entrusted to every Christian to live out and to witness.
Saint Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, is a recipient of the healing power of Jesus, who cures him of his spiritual blindness. On the road to Damascus, the Risen Lord transforms Paul from a bold persecutor of the Church to a zealous preacher of the Gospel. Paul’s passionate love for the Good News stems from his faith in the sheer goodness of God and his experience of the divine healing grace. Totally “christified”, Paul feels obliged to preach the Gospel even without recompense and in poverty, humility and weakness.
The following modern-day report illustrates how Christian disciples continue to proclaim the Gospel in every situation (cf. Daniel Imwalle, “Church in the News” in St. Anthony Messenger, January 2015, p. 10).
US Ebola Victim, Catholic Doctor, Dies: Dr. Martin Salia, a Catholic doctor originally from Sierra Leone, succumbed to the Ebola virus on November 17 at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, CNS reported. Salia was a permanent resident of the United States who had lived in Maryland before returning to his home country this year to offer his skills as a general surgeon at Kissy United Methodist Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Speaking in a recent interview with United Methodist Communications, Salia discussed his decision to return to Sierra Leone. “I see it as God’s own desired framework for me. I took this job not because I want to, but I firmly believe that it was a calling and that God wanted me to”, Salia said.
It is unclear where or how Salia contracted the virus, since he also worked at three other medical facilities besides Kissy Hospital. He initially tested negative for the virus in early November, but a second test on November 10 concluded that Salia did, indeed, have Ebola. Following the diagnosis, Salia was flown to Omaha on November 15, where he died two days later, due to the advanced stage of the illness.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we believe that Jesus will assist us in our pain and grant us the gift of ultimate healing? Do we believe that our pain and suffering, when united with Christ’s sufferings, are redemptive?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Almighty God,
the Helper of all who put their trust in you,
look mercifully upon the sick
and all those in need of healing.
Be gracious to them according to their need.
Preserve their life,
relieve them of pain,
and restore them to health and strength,
in accordance with your saving will.
Grant them courage and patience,
a hopeful spirit,
and a deep trust in your fatherly care.
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.
“He cured many who were sick with various diseases.” (Mk 1:34)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the sick and suffering may find healing. By your ministry of charity to the sick and suffering, enable the Good News of healing and salvation to be received by them.
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February 5, 2024: MONDAY – SAINT AGATHA, Virgin
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is God’s Healing Power … We Come to Worship Him”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Kgs 8:1-7. 9-13 // Mk 6:53-56
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 6:53-56): “As many touched it were healed.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
Today’s Gospel story (Mk 6:53-56) follows upon the weekday lectionary’s omission of St. Mark’s narratives of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand and walking on the water. The story of the feeding is most probably omitted because on Saturday we will hear the similar story of the feeding of the four thousand. However, there is a big difference in these two feeding stories. The feeding of the five thousand takes place on the Western shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is, in Jewish territory, while the second feeding takes place on the opposite side in Gentile territory. This section of Mark’s Gospel beginning with the Jewish feeding and culminating in the Gentile feeding forms a typical Markan “sandwich,” and is often referred to as the “Bread Section.” So this week we feed on the bread of God’s Word while contemplating the words and actions of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Today’s story of the healings at Gennesaret, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, is intimately connected to the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The bounty first exhibited in the feeding is now exhibited in the lavish gift of healing that takes place not only at Gennesaret, but in whatever “villages or towns or countryside he entered.” Gennesaret, and its environs, is totally unlike Nazareth, where lack of faith caused major interference in the healing process. Nazareth’s stance is even unlike the faith of the hemorrhaging woman who reaches for the tassel of Jesus’ cloak. Here in Gennesaret “as many as touched it were healed.” In the story of the healings at Gennesaret, the Lord of the new covenant enters into the place of his activity, the activity of unbounded mercy which affords rest to the multitude.
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13): “They brought the ark of the covenant into the holy of holies and a cloud filled the temple of the Lord.”
The reading (1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13) describes the dedication of the Temple built
by King Solomon. The principal element of the dedication ceremony is the
entrance of the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple. Solomon and all the
people of Israel assemble in front of the Ark to sacrifice countless number
of sheep and cattle. Then they watch the priests march in procession with
the Ark to bring it to its resting place in the
“Holy of Holies” of the Temple. As the priests are leaving the Temple, it is
suddenly filled with a “cloud” shining with the dazzling light of the Lord’s
presence. The cloud of glory symbolizes God taking possession of the Temple
and indicates divine pleasure in Solomon’s initiative to build the Temple
for the worship of the Lord God. Thus the Lord’s promise to David, “Your
son, whom I will make king after you, will build a temple for me” is
fulfilled. Moreover, the Lord has also promised that if Solomon would obey
his laws and commands, God will live among his people Israel in the Temple
that he is building and will never abandon them.
A sacred space or a sacred building is a special place of encounter with the Lord’s presence. The following article shows how students in today’s various Catholic universities connect with the sacred through the help of sacred space and sacred building (cf. Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller, “Students Connect with the Sacred” in Our Sunday Visitor, September 22, 2013, p. 25).
Students find quiet spaces on campuses for meditation, prayer and inspiration in candlelit chapels and tree-lined paths leading to grottoes. They can sit on benches near a statue of Mary, kneel before a tabernacle surrounded by sacred art or pause to pray at an outdoor crucifix.
The following four college students share what those opportunities for quiet prayer on campus mean to them.
Alyssa Terry, 20: “Sacred spaces allow me to grow in my experience and understanding of who God is and who God is calling me to become. I have discovered that my sacred spaces are not always going to be churches and they might always be changing. Being able to expand my prayer in different places is just a small way I can come to know a small slice of the diversity the Divine brings.” (…)
Vince Roach, 20: “I go to Mass at the Chapel of St. Basil as often as I can, whenever I feel I could use a recharge, when I need to pray or reflect on my day. Whenever things get too hectic, I will head over there to clear my head and have some peace. The chapel is shaped like a tent, and you enter through the tent flap. Inside, the Stations of the Cross are carved into the wall, and there is a large bronze statue of Our Lady recessed into the opposite wall. There are no lights inside the chapel, so it is lit by lights shining through the outside windows at the top of the dome. I love the solitude. Every time I visit, there is a reverential silence that draws you to prayer. The tabernacle (and monstrance, when present) is directly in front, so God is always there with me.” (…)
Kathryn Smolko, 19: “I also like the Mini Quad, which is right in front of campus. It’s usually quiet, and although there are usually people walking, no one really stops. There are benches, grass and some really beautiful trees. I love being outdoors and feeling the sun on my skin. It really helps me appreciate what God has given me, and when I’m there, I want to give thanks to him. As a student, life gets really hectic and I forget that God is there to help me through it all. It is really important for me to have a sacred space to remind me that I’m not alone, and to know I have somewhere specifically where I can remember God and feel close to him. Sacred spaces are important to my faith because faith is something that needs to be practiced, and those spaces make it so much easier and more convenient to get that practice in.” (…)
Michael Peyko, 20: “I like to go to the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers. The ceiling and pillars are all white and beautifully hand crafted and designed. From the very moment the sun comes up to when it sets, there is constant sunlight pouring through the stained-glass windows, which gives a very warm and welcoming feeling. I often go there when I want to get away from everything … It’s very important for students to have sacred places. Having a place to go when things get tough is comforting.” (…)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we have faith in the healing power of Jesus? Do we reach out to him to touch him and be healed?
2. Do we see and experience the importance of sacred space/sacred building/sacred objects in our life as a believer?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we thank you for your unbounded mercy
and the healing power you bring to us.
We lay before you the sickness of our heart,
the misery of our people
and the fragmentation of today’s society.
We beg you to allow us to touch you
– even just the tassel of your cloak –
knowing that we will be healed.
You bring us wholeness, joy and comfort.
Let us enter into the place of rest and quiet
where your loving comfort reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
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Lord Jesus,
you are the true temple radiant with divine glory.
We enter into your courts singing your praise.
Let us give you glory and praise by the life that we live.
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.
“As many as touched it were healed.” (Mk 6:56) //“The cloud filled the temple of the Lord.” (1 Kgs 8:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the sick may find strength and healing in the Lord. Like the caring people of Gennesaret, and by your ministry on their behalf, bring the sick closer to Jesus, the ultimate healing. // Be aware of the positive role of sacred space/structures/objects in connecting us with the sacred and utilize them to deepen your relationship with God.
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February 6, 2024: TUESDAY – SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Means to Communion … He Shows How to Pray and Worship”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30 // Mk 7:1-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:1-13): “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
The connection between today’s Gospel story (Mk 7:1-13) and yesterday’s (Mk 6:53-56) may not be immediately apparent until we view it in the context of Mark’s whole “Bread” section on which we are feasting this week. The geographic movement from one shore to another represents more than a sail across the lake. It represents Gentile inclusion in the Eucharistic feast. Today’s Gospel addresses what, in Jewish tradition, represents an obstacle to this communion at the table.
Thus today we see Jesus embarking on a mission that has this unity in Eucharistic communion in mind. The Pharisees and scribes in this story represent those who would be opposed to eating with Gentiles based on what Jesus clearly categorizes as “human tradition.” The scribes and the Pharisees here “nullify the word of God in favor of tradition.” They do this specifically here in their neglect of parents by declaring something has been set aside for God. What has ultimately been set aside, however, is the very word of God which calls Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians into communion at the table of the Lord. So the prophet Isaiah’s maxim is invoked against them: “In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30): “You have said” My name shall be there to hear the prayers of your people Israel.”
The reading (1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30) presents Solomon’s prayer to the Lord at the dedication of the Temple. King Solomon extols the singularity of the Lord God. He thanks him for the blessings bestowed on the chosen people, especially for the covenant of mercy granted to them. He then prays for the Temple and for those who pray in the Temple: “Watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have chosen to be worshiped … Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people when they face this place and pray.” God is transcendent. Even the highest heaven cannot contain God. But God, in his goodness, chooses the Temple built by Solomon to be a special place where the people can connect with him. The Lord is determined to hear the prayers of those who worship in that sacred place, of which he promised, “My name shall be there!”
The omnipotent and omnipresent God continues to manifest his saving power through time and space. Though not bound to any physical space/place, by divine will, there are some “sacred” places of intimate encounter with divine grace. One of these special places is the Marian sanctuary in Lourdes, a haven where people can experience healing through Mary’s intercession. The following article on the Internet is very inspiring.
In 1858 in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes, France, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year old peasant girl. She identified herself as “The Immaculate Conception”. She gave Bernadette a message for all: “Pray and do penance for the conversion of the world.” The Church investigated Bernadette’s claims for four years before approving devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes has since become one of the most famous shrines, attracting more than a million pilgrims each year. There had been thousands of miraculous cures at this shrine. (…)
No one leaves Lourdes without a gain in faith. Moral and spiritual cures are more marvelous than physical cures. Some go to Lourdes with lifetime prejudices, yet their minds are cleared in a sudden manner. Frequently skepticism gives way to faith; coldness and antagonism become whole-hearted love of God. Again and again those who are not cured of bodily pain receive an increase of faith and resignation – true peace of soul …
The Story of Gabriel Gargam: The case of Gabriel Gargam is probably one of the best known of all the thousands of cures at Lourdes, partly because he was so well known at the Shrine for half a century, partly because it was a twofold healing, spiritual and physical. Born in 1870 of good Catholic parents, he gave early promise of being a clever student and a fervent Catholic. The promise was not fulfilled in the most important respect for, at 15 years of age, he had lost his faith. He obtained a position in the postal service and was carrying out his duties as a sorter in December of 1899, when the train on which he was traveling from Bordeaux to Paris collided with another train, running at 50 miles per hour. Gargam was thrown fifty-two feet from the train. He lay in the snow, badly injured and unconscious for seven hours. He was paralyzed from the waist down. He was barely alive when lifted onto a stretcher. Taken to a hospital, his existence for some time was a living death. After eight months he had wasted away to a mere skeleton, weighing but seventy-eight pounds, although normally a big man. His feet become gangrenous. He could take no solid food and was obliged to take nourishment by a tube. Only once in twenty-hours could he be fed even that way. (…)
Previous to the accident Gargam had not been to Church for fifteen years. His aunt, who was a nun of the Order of the Sacred Heart, begged him to go to Lourdes. He refused. She continued her appeals to him to place himself in the hands of Our Lady of Lourdes. He was deaf to all her prayers. After continuous pleading by his mother, he consented to go to Lourdes. It was now two years since the accident, and not for a moment had he left his bed all that time. He was carried on a stretcher to the train. The exertion caused him to faint, and for a full hour he was unconscious. They were on the point of abandoning the pilgrimage, as it looked as if he would die on the way, but the mother insisted, and the journey was made.
Arrived at Lourdes, he went to confession and received Holy Communion. There was no change in his condition. Later he was carried to the miraculous pool and tenderly placed in its waters – no effect. Rather a bad effect resulted, for the exertion threw him into a swoon and he lay apparently dead. After a time, as he did not revive, they thought him dead. Sorrowfully they wheeled the carriage back to the hotel. On the way back they saw the procession of the Blessed Sacrament approaching. They stood aside to let it pass, having placed a cloth over the face of the man they supposed to be dead.
As the priest passed carrying the Sacred Host, he pronounced Benediction over the sorrowful group around the covered body. Soon there was a movement from under the covering. To the amazement of the bystanders, the body raised itself to a sitting posture. While the family members were looking on dumbfounded and the spectators gazed in amazement, Gargam said in a full, strong voice that he wanted to get up. They thought that it was a delirium before death, and tried to soothe him, but he was not restrained. He got up and stood erect, walked a few paces and said that he was cured. The multitude looked in wonder, and then fell on their knees and thanked God for this new sign of His power at the Shrine of His Blessed Mother. As Gargam had on him only invalid’s clothes, he returned to the carriage and was wheeled back to the hotel. There he soon dressed, and proceeded to walk as if nothing had ever ailed him. For two years hardly any food had passed his lips but now he sat down at table and ate a hearty meal.
On August 20th, 1901, sixty prominent doctors examined Gargam. Without stating the nature of the cure, they pronounced him instantly cured. Gargam, out of gratitude to God in the Holy Eucharist and His Blessed Mother, consecrated himself to the service of the invalids at Lourdes. He set up a small business and married a pious lady who aided him in his apostolate for the greater knowledge of Mary Immaculate. For over fifty years he returned annually to Lourdes and worked as a brancarrier … His last visit to the Shrine was in August 1952: he died the following March, at the age of eighty-three years.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we guilty of disregarding God’s commandments but clinging to human tradition?
2. Do we trust in the power of prayer and in the importance of prayer and the sanctuaries for prayer?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O Jesus, Divine Master,
you are the way, the truth and the life.
Forgive us for the times we have disregarded God’s commands
in order to cling to mere human traditions.
You are the teacher of communion and true tradition.
You revealed to us the Father’s saving plan
that includes all peoples and cultures,
all nations and creation.
Help us to overcome our prejudices and misconceptions
that we may share fully in the infinite expanse
of your Father’s all-inclusive love.
We love you, adore you and serve you,
now and forever. Amen.
***
O Jesus Divine Master,
you teach us the meaning of prayer.
You are the true Temple
through which we offer worship and praise to the Father.
Let our prayers rise up through you
and be blessed by the heavenly Father.
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.
“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (Mk 7:8) // “Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer you in this place.” (1 Kgs 8:30)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that we may overcome our unhealthy parochialism and vicious legalism. By your acts of justice and charity, promote unity in diversity and the Church’s true tradition of universal love. // Be thankful for the sacred space/place of prayer and use it wisely to deepen your personal relationship with God.
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February 7, 2024: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (5)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Wisdom … He Is Greater than Solomon”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Kgs 10:1-10 // Mk 7:14-23
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:14-23): “What comes out of the man that is what defiles him.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
Today’s Gospel passage (Mk 7:14-23) concludes yesterday’s discussion between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees concerning “the tradition of the elders” and concludes with his characteristically Markan private conversation with his disciples. Whereas Jesus half expects the scribes and Pharisees not to “get it,” he hopes his disciples will. But such is not the case as he exasperatingly remarks: “Are even you likewise without understanding?” And the attentive reader at once realizes that s/he is being personally addressed. We are all responsible for promoting communion and “not getting it” is no excuse, especially for a disciple of any century.
And what is it that scribe, Pharisee, and even disciple fail to comprehend? It’s not about the ritual purity of eating and digestion. As a matter of fact, it’s not about ritual purity at all. The major obstacle to communion is nothing external, but it’s a matter of the heart. “From their hearts come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” These are obstacles to Eucharistic communion that cut both ways. It’s not simply Jewish purity vs. Gentile impurity; it’s about the interior impurity of both that makes such communion impossible.
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 10:1-10): “The Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon.”
The reading (1 Kgs 10:1-10) depicts King Solomon as an international celebrity. Foreign dignitaries seek his renowned wisdom. Foremost of them is the Queen of Sheba. She is overwhelmed and breathless by what she sees. Solomon explains everything the Queen asks about. Indeed, the wisdom and wealth of Solomon are much greater than what she has heard. The Queen of Sheba praises the ever-loving God who has made Solomon a king to maintain law and justice among the people. In this idyllic picture, King Solomon is portrayed as pleasing to God. Wisdom flows out of him because the law of God is in his heart. As long as he is with God, he is truly wise.
The following story gives us insight into true wisdom that comes from the heart of God (cf. Elaine McDonald, “From the Mouth of a Small Boy” in A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al., Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1996, p. 223-224).
Our friends, Reimund and Toni, live in a city in the industrial Ruhr area of Germany, which suffered heavy bombing during World War II. One evening during their week-long stay with us, my husband, who is a history teacher, invited them to tell us what they remembered about being children in Germany during the war. Reimund proceeded to tell us a story that moved us to tears.
One day not long before the end of the war, Reimund saw two airmen parachuting out of an enemy plane that had been shot down. Like many other curious citizens who had seen the parachutists falling through the afternoon sky, 11-year-old Reimund went to the city’s central square to wait for the police to arrive with the prisoners of war. Eventually two policemen arrived with two British prisoners in tow. They would wait there in the city square for a car that would take the British airmen to a prison in a neighboring city where prisoners of war are kept.
When the crowd saw the prisoners, there were angry shouts of “Kill them! Kill them!” No doubt they were thinking of the heavy bombings the city had suffered at the hands of the British and the allies. Nor did the crowd lack the means to carry out their intent. Many of the people had been gardening when they saw the enemy fall from the sky and had brought their pitchforks, shovels and other gardening implements with them.
Reimund looked at the faces of the British prisoners. They were very young, maybe 19 or 20 years old. He could see they were extremely frightened. He could also see that the two policemen, whose duty it was to protect the prisoners of war, were no match for the angry crowd with its pitchforks and shovels.
Reimund knew he had to do something, and do it quickly. He ran to place himself between the prisoners and the crowd, turning to face the crowd and shouting to them to stop. Not wanting to hurt the little boy, the crowd held back for a moment, long enough for Reimund to tell them: “Look at these prisoners. They are just young boys! They are no different from your own sons. They are only doing what your sons are doing – fighting for their country. If your sons were shot down in a foreign country and became prisoners of war, you wouldn’t want the people there to kill your sons. So please don’t hurt these boys.”
Reimund’s fellow townspeople listened in amazement, and then shame. Finally, a woman said, “It took a little boy to tell us what is right and what is wrong.” The crowd began to disperse. Reimund will never forget the look of tremendous relief and gratitude he then saw on the faces of the young British airmen. He hopes they had had long, happy lives, and that they haven’t forgotten the little boy who saved them.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we endeavor to achieve integrity and purity of heart? Do we yearn for true holiness that leads to communion with our brothers and sisters?
2. Do we seek for true wisdom that comes from obedience and faithfulness to God? Do we allow the wisdom of God to guide us and show us the way of righteousness?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
teach us integrity of heart and interior purity.
Cleanse us from evil thoughts and wicked desires.
The awful things that ferment within us
make us “unclean” and incite us to do evil.
Loving Lord,
teach us true wisdom that we may reject the wickedness
that draws us away from you and to disobey our gracious God.
We trust in your forgiveness and bounteous mercy.
You are our kind Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Lord Jesus,
your wisdom is greater than Solomon.
Grant us the wisdom of a loving heart.
that we may serve and honor God all the days of our life.
You are our merciful Savior,
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.
“What comes out of the man that is what defiles him.” (Mk 7:20) //“The queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom.” (1 Kgs 10:4)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Make the examination of the heart a regular practice to enable you to detest what is contrary to the will of God and pursue his saving will. // Make an effort to exercise daily the wisdom of heart, for your own good and the good of others.
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February 8, 2024: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (5); SAINT JEROME EMILIANI; SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA, Virgin
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER AND AWARENESS
AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Bread of Life for All … He Is God’s Faithful Love”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Kgs 11:4-13 // Mk 7:24-30
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:24-30): “The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
In today’s Gospel story (Mk 7:24-30), Jesus, Wisdom incarnate, recognizes the wisdom of a Gentile woman. This latter woman is not the Queen of Tyre, but a simple mother with a very sick daughter who recognizes something different about this Jewish man who has crossed boundaries and set foot in her Syrophoenician city on the Mediterranean coast. So different that she falls at his feet in an act of worship. She clearly understands worship in a way the scribes and Pharisees of yesterday could not.
His more-than-meets-the-eye rebuff to her request is not couched in delicate language. He refers to the Jewish community as children who have first access to the food. And that food is not to be thrown to Gentile pups. But what a comeback! She addresses him with the full-force of the Jewish divine title LORD. And then she drops the bomb: “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” How wise a saying! How unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who set up roadblocks to sharing the bread of life at one table. She found her daughter “lying in bed and the demon gone.” Really both demons were gone: the demon of sickness and the demon of division and separation. The same bread feeds both children and pups. And it is Jesus himself.
Jesus’ crossing of boundaries led him to a mission of inclusion that brought those who were excluded to the table. The desire of the woman resulted not only in the answer to her own prayer but contributed to the clearer revelation of the mystery of union in Christ.
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 11:4-13): “Since you have not kept my covenant, I will deprive you of the kingdom, but I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David.”
The reading (1 Kgs 11:4-13) describes King Solomon’s corruption and his breach of the covenant with God. His heart is no longer like that of his father David, fully faithful to the Lord. Solomon’s relentless acquisition of wealth and military power manifests signs of indulgence and greed. His liking for foreign wives and his possession of an excessive large harem (seven hundred princesses and 300 concubines) gradually draw him away from God. By the time he is old, his foreign wives have led him into the worship of their gods. He who has dedicated himself to building the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem now builds altars to idols. God’s response to Solomon’s idolatry is condemnation. The Lord thus speaks to Solomon personally and declares the future dissolution of his kingdom.
The following article gives insight into the mystery of personal degradation (cf. Poverello News, February 2014, p. 1-2).
Jimmy H. was one of those guys who had become a fixture around Poverello House. Sometimes, he’d disappear for a while, but you always knew he’d be back. That’s why it was such a shock when he was hit by a truck and killed last November. It happened on G Street, less than a block away.
In the words of Marlon Brando in the movie, On the Waterfront, Jimmy “could have been a contender”. Jimmy passed through our Resident Program a couple of times. The first time, back in the 1990s, he seemed genuinely ready to make a change. He graduated, and then stayed on for several months. He had become very involved in A.A. and was starting to get back on his feet. He had a good-paying job that utilized the skills he possessed, and he had begun a relationship with a woman who was sober and successful. He seemed destined for a better life.
He had a quick wit, an infectious laugh, and a smile that would light up a room. He was one of those guys who sometimes would hustle you, and even though you knew you were being hustled, you didn’t mind. He had something wrong with one eye, and when he smiled, that eye would squint like Popeye’s, which just added to his charm.
Unfortunately, he also possessed the seed of self-destruction that is so common with the homeless. Maybe the lure of alcohol and crack cocaine was overwhelming; or perhaps after so many years of addiction and failure, success and sobriety was just too strange and uncomfortable. Whatever the reason, the day came when Jimmy drank and used again, and the results were predictable.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we make an effort to share the healing power of Jesus, the bread of life for all?
2. Do we recognize our human weakness and beg God to assist us to overcome our personal weakness?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are the bread of life
to be shared with all peoples of the earth.
You are the divine power that drives away the demon of sickness
and the demon of division and separation.
Help us to overcome the ugly forces of alienation.
Let us be united with you as you cross boundaries of division
in your mission to include all peoples at the table of life.
Your power is awesome
and we love and adore you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Jesus Lord,
Deliver us from following false idols.
Help us to follow you unreservedly.
Let us love and serve you unconditionally,
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.
“The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” (Mk 7:28) //“He did not follow him unreservedly.” (1 Kgs 11:4b)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the unity of Christians and all the peoples of the earth. Let your acts of justice and peace surmount artificial barriers and be totally inclusive. // Pray to God for the grace to follow him unreservedly especially when the attraction of false idols is strong. Make an effort to spend some quiet moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
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February 9, 2024: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (5)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals the Deaf-Mute … He Overcomes Alienation and Division”
BIBLE READINGS
I Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19 // Mk 7:31-37
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:31-37): “He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
In this week’s Gospel stories, Jesus, the boundary crosser, is on the road. Yesterday he was in Gentile Tyre on the Mediterranean. Today he is on the Eastern Gentile shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Decapolis, the heart of Gentile territory. He encounters a Gentile deaf-mute who begs him “to lay his hand on him,” the same hand that was laid on so many of the sick in Jewish Gennesaret. Pope Benedict XVI, in a homily on Christian Unity, took advantage of the fuller sense of this passage. He said: “Is not being deaf and mute, that is, being unable either to listen or speak, a sign of a lack of communion and a symptom of division?”
Just as Jesus removed obstacles to unity on the Jewish side of the lake, today’s Gospel (Mk 7:31-37) has him removing more obstacles on the Gentile side. He “put his finger into the man’s ears, and, spitting, touched his tongue.” As God created the first human so tactilely in the second chapter of Genesis, so Jesus is recreating this Gentile, endowing him once again with the organs of speech and hearing, the organs of communion that overcome division and disunity. The action culminates in typical Markan fashion: “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” And not just in Gentile Galilee.
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19): “Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.”
The reading (1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19) underlines the alienation and division caused by sin. The Lord God has talked personally to King Solomon of the future dissolution of his kingdom. With a symbolic gesture, the prophet Ahijah communicates this prophecy to Jeroboam, an able and hard-working young man whom Solomon has put in charge of the forced labor. Tearing his new cloak into twelve pieces, he gives ten pieces to Jeroboam to symbolize the ten tribes of Israel that he will rule. Solomon now sees him as a threat and pursues him. Jeroboam escapes to Egypt and stays there until Solomon dies. After the death of Solomon, his kingdom disintegrates. His son-successor King Rehoboam’s brash self-confidence and authoritarianism lead to the revolt of the northern tribes. To the people of the northern tribes who ask for clemency and more humane treatment, he speaks harshly: “My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I’ll flog you with bullwhips!” The people see that King Rehoboam will not listen. So they rebel against him and choose Jeroboam, son of Nebat, from the northern tribe of Ephraim, as king.
The unfortunate consequences of sin and abuse can be verified in the following story (cf. Susan Call, “You Don’t Have to Cry Anymore” in Guideposts, October 2013, p. 53-54).
I couldn’t believe I had been trapped in an abusive marriage, a woman like me. I had a good job with a good company. Good education. I’d come from a loving family, my parents happily married. I’d connected with a church and was no stranger to prayer, but lately all my prayers had been, God give me strength to get through the day.
Joe had swept me off my feet with his flamboyant charm, flattering me, giving me presents, doting on me. It was only later, after we were married, that I discovered his other side. The drinking, the cruel verbal abuse, the threats, the affairs. He had been abused as a child and I wanted to make excuses for him, but when he told me what he’d do to me if I left him, I was terrified. I couldn’t hide my tears from my children anymore.
My faith gave me courage to seek a counselor and admit to her what was happening. I talked to an attorney and made an appointment with a private investigator. On a lunch break I stayed in the office and found a website for domestic violence, looking over my shoulder as I read, as though Joe would be right behind, staring at every word.
“Are you in an abusive relationship?” the site asked. “Does your spouse put you down? … Stop you from seeing your friends or family members? … Tell you that you are a bad parent? … Act like the abuse is no big deal? … Threaten to kill you?” I said yes to everything. With each answer, my denial crumbled. It was impossible to ignore what my life had become. I felt as though the site knew me, Joe, and knew the hell I was living. I clicked the header Get Help.
The site mapped out all the steps to take. How to escape. How to protect yourself. How to make a file with all the necessary documents: birth certificates, passports, tax returns. I created a folder at work and drew a purple ribbon on the upper right-hand corner, purple because that was the color of domestic-violence awareness.
I went to the private investigator and confided what Joe had said he’d do to me and how he’d get away with it all. The investigator took notes and promised to look into the threats. Two weeks later I returned and sat across the desk from him. He didn’t mince words. “You are in serious danger for your life”, he told me. “You need to get away and you need to take the children with you.”
How would I do it? Where would I go? I prayed for wisdom, prayed for guidance, prayed for strength, a strength stronger than fear. I consulted the website. I would have to share my story with others in order to build a team, but I had to be very careful. Anybody who helped me would be taking big risks themselves. And some would probably not even believe.
I called an associate who lived 1,000 miles away. We worked closely together in the same department, only in different cities, and we were often in touch. I knew she was a woman of faith and I felt I could take her into my confidence. She listened patiently, then said, “Bring the kids here and stay with me as long as you like, as long as you need to. You’ll be safe here.” I was stunned. I never expected a reaction like that.
I had my destination and I’d gathered my team angels in secret. All the documents were ready. I’d done it. Now it was just the three of us. Jennifer, Ryan and me. Leaving. Leaving for good. I couldn’t know what the future would hold, but I knew too well what it could have been if we had stayed. I pulled out a stapled set of papers that had been tucked in my purse, my legal request for divorce, and put it on the kitchen table.
I said a prayer for protection and prayed too that my children would understand. Then we headed out to the car. Jennifer pulled herself up into her car seat. Ryan sank into his, looking up at me with big, brown, searching eyes. I buckled my belt around him with trembling hands. How much did they really know? How much would they ever understand? “Mommy”, Ryan said, “now you don’t have to cry anymore.”
I got into the front seat and pulled out of the driveway. I turned the corner and our house quickly disappeared from view.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we spiritually deaf by refusing to listen to the Word of God? Are we spiritually mute by refraining from proclaiming the Word of God?
2. How do we deal with the alienation and painful consequences of human frailty and sin? Do we seek help from God and others?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving God,
open the ears of our hearts to listen to the Word of God.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
***
O Lord Jesus,
look kindly upon us in our trials.
Heal our afflictions.
Help us to overcome the wounds of division
caused by human frailty and sin.
You are our Savior.
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.
“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mk 7:31-37) //“For the sake of David, my servant …” (1 Kgs 11:32)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that people may understand the importance and necessity of Lectio Divina. Introduce your friends and loved ones to this beautiful life-giving practice of the Church. // To help us overcome the alienation and division caused by sin and human frailty, let us commit ourselves to the practice of Lectio Divina and the Eucharistic Adoration.
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February 10, 2024: SATURDAY – SAINT SCHOLASTICA, Virgin
N.B. TODAY IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PDDM FOUNDATION
(February 10, 1924 – February 10, 2024)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Fed Them and They Were Satisfied … He Guides Us in the Path to Life”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34 // Mk 8:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 8:1-10): “They ate and were satisfied.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
There in the very same Gentile district where Jesus healed the deaf-mute, in today’s Gospel (Mk 8:1-10) we have a quasi-replay of the feeding story on the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. There is a striking similarity of details: “a great crowd without anything to eat”; the compassionate heart of Jesus “moved with pity”; the lack of compassion and even understanding on the part of the disciples who witnessed and participated in the previous feeding. Of capital importance is the repetition of the fourfold Eucharistic action: “Taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute.”
However, there are subtle differences in the two stories. In the first they picked up “twelve wicker baskets full of fragments,” while in the second “they picked up the fragments left over – seven baskets.” Why twelve baskets in the first story? It is precisely to evoke the Jewish image of the twelve tribes of Israel. And similarly the seven baskets on the Gentile side evoke the universal number of the Gentile nations. And notice Gentiles did not insist on wicker baskets as did the Jewish community. However, despite these differences in both stories, “they ate and were satisfied.”
How favored we are in being recipients of the Eucharistic gift, the real gift that keeps on giving. In a sense, all of this week’s reflections were Eucharistic. Eucharist is the gathering of the Body of Christ in rich diversity. At Eucharist with ears wide open, we listen and feast at the table of the Word. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist we take, bless, break and distribute bread that has been transformed by the Spirit into the Body of Christ. And like the crowd in today’s Gospel, we are dismissed to go and announce the reconciling Gospel of the Lord.
B. First Reading (1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34): “Jeroboam made two golden calves.”
In the reading (1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34), we hear of Jeroboam’s disappointing response to God’s conditional offer to make him ruler of the northern tribes of Israel. Through the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh, God has made a promise to Jeroboam: “If you obey me completely, live by my laws, and win my approval by doing what I command you as my servant David did, I will always be with you. I will make you king of Israel and will make sure that your descendants rule after you, just as I have done for David.” Once installed king, however, Jeroboam is overreaching and unfaithful. He tries to make his northern kingdom secure through political-social-religious manipulation. Instead of covenant fidelity, he resorts to religious innovation. Jeroboam creates false idols – “two calves of gold” – and designs a system of worship that will draw the Israelites away from the Jerusalem temple. Jeroboam causes Israel to sin and brings about the ruin and total destruction of his dynasty.
Jeroboam’s fatal sin is tragic and teaches us to surrender to God’s ways. The following story, in a humorous vein, gives an insight into what it means to be led by God (cf. Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations, New York: Image Books, 1988, p. 126).
The Master was in an expansive mood, so his disciples sought to learn from him the stages he had passed through in his quest for the divine.
“God first led me by the hand”, he said, “into the Land of Action, and there I dwelt for several years. Then he returned and led me to the Land of Sorrows; there I lived until my heart was purged of every inordinate attachment. That is when I found myself in the Land of Love, whose burning flames consumed whatever was left in me of self. This brought me to the Land of Silence, where the mysteries of life and death were bared before my wondering eyes.”
“Was that the final stage of your quest?” they asked.
“No”, the Master said. “One day God said, ‘Today I shall take you to the innermost sanctuary of the Temple, to the heart of God himself.’ And I was led to the Land of Laughter.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we truly grateful for the gift of the Eucharist? Do we share it with a hungry world that yearns for the bread of the Word … the life-giving bread?
2. Do we truly trust God and feel secure in his ways or do we design our own “security” and “idols”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the “Eucharist” – the bread of the Word
… the life-giving bread … the real gift that keeps on giving.
We thank you for the multiplication of the loaves
and for being bread broken and shared for the life of the world.
You are the Eucharistic gift that builds the Church,
so radiant in beauty and rich in diversity.
Help us to celebrate your paschal sacrifice
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At the Eucharistic feasting,
we partake of the bread of compassion
and the wine of messianic joy,
which make us fully satisfied and deeply grateful.
Lead us into the eternal banquet of your kingdom
where you live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving God,
we detest our sin
and loathe its tragic consequences.
Our idolatry is self-destruction.
Give us the grace to turn away from false idols
and to embrace you, the one true God,
the God of our life, the font of all good.
Let us serve you faithfully, 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.
“They ate and were satisfied.” (Mk 8:8) //“This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam for which it was to be cut off.” (1 Kgs 12:26-32)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the peoples of the world that their various hungers may be satisfied. By your acts of compassion to the hungry poor, let the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves come alive again. // Today make an act of reparation for the many people who prefer false security and refuse to trust in God’s ways.
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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