A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 22, n. 42)
Week 24 in Ordinary Time: September 15-21, 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: September 8-14, 2024 please go to ARCHIVES Series 21 and click on “Ordinary Week 23”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: September 15-21, 2024.)
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September 15, 2024: TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Christ, the Suffering Servant”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Is 50:4c-9a // Jas 2:14-18 // Mk 8:27-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A, Gospel Reading (Mk 8:27-35): “You are the Christ ,,, the Son of Man must suffer greatly.
(Gospel Reflection by Brother Andy Ruperto, Diocese of Fresno)
The Gospel passage for this week contains a question that goes to the heart of Christianity and of our Christian faith. It is posed by our Lord Jesus as He journeys with his disciples to “the villages of Caesarea Philippi”. The disciples, at this point, have been with Jesus for a while and have seen Him do mighty deeds, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding Jesus’ identity. So our Lord asks two important questions. The first one is “Who do people say that I am?” They answer Him, John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asks the climactic second question, “But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus, my Lord, who are You?
So Peter replies – St. Peter … so bold … so quick to reply … so eager to speak his mind and to speak his heart. He replies, “You are the Messiah.” Can we speak this from our hearts with our first pope? Can we state it with our whole being? Can we be true to this faith? Well, to state it with our whole being we must first know what it means.
Jesus, my Lord, who are You?
To understand what it means to be the Messiah we look to our Lord’s following words. First he warned His disciples “not to tell anyone about Him”. Then He goes on to predict His passion and the necessity of the Cross. The Messiah is SAVIOR and has a mission to accomplish. The proclamation to the world must come after His death and resurrection. His mission is to become a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin through His blood on the cross. The savior is the one who “saves us from the fires of hell” and allows us to enter into the heavenly kingdom.
Jesus, my Lord, who are You?
We reach here a disparity between Peter’s idea of a Messiah and God’s idea of the Messiah. Peter is right in saying that Jesus is the Messiah, but his idea of what that means has to change. Peter is looking for a glorified earthly Messiah. This is why our Lord must rebuke Simon Peter. Satan’s road is earthly glory and the avoidance of the cross. Jesus has to show the world that to be His disciple is not to avoid or deny the cross but to accept, face, and embrace it as the means to our salvation. Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” We, with Simon Peter, must remember that we are in exile and that we are called to be witnesses of the coming kingdom.
Jesus, my Lord, who are You?
So too on our journey of faith, Jesus will ask us, “Who do people say that I am?” We might answer, “You are regarded as a mighty prophet in Islam and Judaism. Others say, “You are one of the many founders of a religion with good teachings …” Then He will ask, “But who do you say that I am?”
And we will say …
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The following news article gives insight into the meaning of confessing our faith in Christ in today’s world (cf. “Saira Makes US History” in Alive! December 2014.p. 6).
In the recent US elections 18-year-old Saira Blair of West Virginia made history by becoming America’s youngest state lawmaker. A devout Catholic, Saira’s campaign was openly prolife, pro natural marriage and pro jobs.
Asked about young people who would not agree with her, she explained, “once you give them the facts they begin to see things differently.”
She wants young people who share her views not to be afraid to stand up for them.
B. First Reading (Is 50:4c-9a): “I gave my back to those who beat me.”
An impressive story I read is “To Live Again” by Harold Koenig, M.D. (cf. “To Live Again” in Guideposts, September 2006, p. 20-24). The psychiatrist Dr. Koenig, who is the coordinator of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University in North Carolina, suffers from a crippling disease that racks him with vicious pain. Here is the inspiring personal account of how he was to deal with his sickness and suffering.
I had been diagnosed with psoriatic inflammatory arthritis. My immune system was attacking my tendons and joints. Any part of my body I used repetitively – legs, knees, ankles, hands, shoulders, back – could become inflamed. The disease could be progressive. There was no cure. Part of me was relieved to have a diagnosis – no more mystery pain. But then I saw the fear in Charmin’s eyes. I knew she was already mourning our walks together, our hiking vacations. I looked at Jordan. “What kind of father will I be? Will we play baseball together? Can we even roughhouse?” That night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. My back was throbbing. But it wasn’t just the pain keeping me awake. Why? I asked, cycling through thoughts of patients, research, all that I felt God had called me to do. “Is all this work for nothing? Is it all going to get swallowed up in some disease? What am I supposed to do?”
The bedroom was dark, the pain relentless. Finally, I got up and limped to the sofa in the living room. I lay on it and found the soft cushions eased the ache. Thank you, God, I prayed. And then it hit me. It was such a simple movement, from bed to sofa. God didn’t snap his fingers and make the pain go away. He didn’t promise to cure me. But he did show me how to adapt, how to live instead of giving up. “Maybe that’s what I’m supposed to do, learn to follow God with the pain – and then help others do the same. Lord, that sounds hard. But if you’re with me, I’ll try.”
God showed Dr. Koenig how to live with pain and how to help others cope with it. In embracing the mystery of suffering, and in trusting the divine saving will, he was able to experience that God works through our weakness and our strength. Indeed, Dr. Koenig is a sterling example of how a disciple could participate fully and intimately in the paschal destiny of Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant-Messiah.
In today’s Old Testament reading (Is 50:4c-9a) we hear the confessions of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh, whose faith in God is unflinching despite tremendous opposition and persecution. Taken from the third poem of the “Suffering Servant”, this Sunday’s passage is a poetic reflection on suffering in the service of God. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 5, comment: “In this poem, the Servant himself speaks. He evokes the ill treatment that his torturers have inflicted on him, resorting to blows in order to crush him by physical pain, and to insulting actions in order to overwhelm him under their contempt … But the way in which these torments are spoken of shows us a man of extraordinary grandeur and dignity: physically reduced to nothing in his body, he has not been injured in his soul. What is more, he remains serene beyond what we can imagine. No violence has succeeded in altering in the slightest his nonviolence. The Suffering Servant indicates from what sources he draws the strength of his nonviolence and his serenity in the worst of tribulations: The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear. And I have not rebelled; have not turned back. Therefore, this man has heard God revealing both his plan and mission to which he calls his servant in view of accomplishing his work. At the same time, this man learned of the difficulties he would have to face. God never deals with anybody in a disloyal manner. But he expects a complete trust and a total commitment of being, soul and body, from those he calls … Then, in spite of their weakness, humans become able to do anything. The servant experiences this certitude again and again: The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”
Christian tradition has seen the Suffering Servant, persecuted unjustly by his enemies but then glorified by God, as one of the most striking figures of Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who remained true to his mission in spite of opposition and persecution. It was Jesus who suffered cruel torments with unflinching courage. Abandoned and rejected, Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant-Messiah, relied on God alone for strength and vindication.
The prophetic image of the Suffering Servant can also be applied to any Christian disciple who stands for principle against all odds. The Servant of Yahweh who suffers in the service of God is a model of Christian discipleship, which involves denying oneself, taking up the cross, and losing one’s life for the sake of Christ and his Gospel. Such radical discipleship is made possible by the Lord God who comes to the aid of the suffering servant, who is totally surrendered to the divine ineffable love. Indeed, suffering is integral to Christian faith. The following of Jesus involves redemptive sacrifice.
C. Second Reading (Jas 2:14-18): “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead.”
The Second Reading (Jas 2:14-18) underlines the exigency of faithful discipleship and reinforces the reality that true faith expresses itself by doing the will of God. Combating the superficiality and pretense of the so-called “faith” that was widespread in his day, James showed the intimate connection between faith and good works. “Faith” is the free acceptance of God’s saving revelation and “works” is the obedient implementation of God’s revealed will in every aspect of life. For James, true faith is practical and permeates the entire life, for faith without works is “dead” and will not lead to salvation. His great concern is to show covenant faith to all, especially the disadvantaged members. Indeed, the way we live in conformity or in contradiction to our faith is of vital importance. It is the perspective to judge the value, or lack of it, of our religious commitment to God.
The following account is an example of a living faith that expresses itself in concrete acts of charity on behalf of God’s poor (cf. Frank Maurivich, “Feeding God’s People” in The Anthonian, Summer 2009, p. 225). Faithful discipleship and authentic worship manifest its vitality in works of loving compassion for our needy brothers and sisters.
As the bell peals in the tower of St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City at precisely 7 a.m., a Franciscan friar enters the sanctuary to begin the celebration of Mass. At the same moment outside the church on West 31st Street of Midtown Manhattan, another brown-robed Franciscan friar leads three volunteers, one pulling a cart and the other dispensing hearty breakfast sandwiches to some 375 needy people. Two more volunteers pour cups of hot coffee to the homeless in what the Franciscans affectionately call the St. Francis Breadline.
Father Jerome Massimino, OFM, the pastor of the parish, sees an intimate connection between what is happening at the altar and on the sidewalk. “God’s chosen are being fed in both places”, he says. The scene outside the church began during the 1929 Depression when Brother Gabriel Mehler, OFM, established this ministry as a way to feed the hungry and the homeless. Since then, this scene has been repeated every morning for almost 80 years. Rain or shine, the friars will greet those who line up for coffee and food. “Alongside the ministry of reconciliation, the Breadline is the most beloved ministry of St. Francis Assisi Church”, the pastor says. Father Michael Carnevale, OFM, who has served as coordinator of the Breadline ministry for the past three years, says, “We have only one rule: ‘No questions asked.’ We take the people as they are – brothers and sisters in Christ. If they want to approach us, that’s a different story.”
The Breadline is inclusive – it welcomes everyone in need. The majority are male with only a handful of women. All are poor, and many are homeless. Some have or have had problems with alcohol or drugs; a few are mentally challenged. “We seldom have any trouble”, says Fred Dumas, the tall, husky security man on the parish staff. “If an occasional fight breaks out, others in the line usually break it up.” Fr. Mike estimates that some 70 percent of the people in the line are regulars. “They know one another”, the friar says. “They help among themselves. They have a sense of community.” They also appreciate Fr. Mike’s initiative in improving and varying the menu. What were once cheese or baloney sandwiches on white bread are now changed every day from roast beef, chicken cutlet, turkey, ham and cheese on a hero roll. The breakfast bag also includes a box of Juicy-Juice. “We can do this”, Fr. Mike says, “because our people in the spirit of St. Francis generously support this effort for people who are less fortunate.” (…)
Tony Ruba, for example, comes on the subway from his apartment in the Bronx to Manhattan at 3:30 every morning to begin bagging the sandwiches which are made and delivered from Manganaro’s Hero Boy Deli. Tony, like three others of the six volunteers on duty this day, was once on the receiving end of the line. He was homeless for eight years, but, he says, “Fr. Mike helped me get my head on straight.” The other volunteers refer to Tony as “the boss”.
“I like to get up early”, says Berkley “Burke” Stokes, who used to sleep on the church steps. Now, he has a regular job and has been volunteering every morning for 16 years. He and white-haired, handlebar mustached Frank Wallace, another regular volunteer who has been on both sides of the Breadline, each handle two large urns to dispense coffee. Burke does his job quietly, while Frank does a running commentary with his clients.
“I like to help in any way I can”, says Paul Johnson, another volunteer with experience of receiving and now giving. Friendly and loquacious, Paul serves as the cleanup man, but before attacking the refuse, he doles out the ball scores and news commentary. “How did the Rangers do last night?” a man holding a steaming Styrofoam coffee cup asks. “They won. A great hockey game”, reports Paul. “How about the Sixers?” a Philadelphia basketball fan asks. “Sorry, Bill, they lost.” Then Paul and round-shouldered Jimmy start a lively conversation on whether the city’s health department is doing enough to control the flu epidemic.
Tall, thin Erwin Schaub and curly-haired Anita Mark both volunteered after seeing a notice in the church bulletin. “I have been coming once or twice a week for four years”, Erwin says. Anita, who is also a Eucharistic minister at the church, serves on the Breadline almost every morning, but after dispensing the sandwiches, she rushes up the church stairs. “I’ve got to go inside”, the lively Eucharistic minister says, “to feed the others”.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we faithful to God’s commands and rely on him for strength and vindication? Have we tried to negate, resist or repel the various trials and sufferings that come our way? Have we let ourselves be overwhelmed with despair in the midst of pain and suffering? Do we look to Christ as the fulfillment of the Suffering Servant song? How does the life of Christ, the Suffering Servant-Messiah, touch us and give us strength? Do we trust that the Lord comes to the aid of his Suffering Servant who suffers in the service of God and for his glory?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
you are our Master.
You show us the depths of human suffering
and perfect submission to the Father’s will.
You are our help and strength.
Together with you
we taste the bitterness of suffering
and the dregs of human pain.
Teach us how to suffer
and embrace the life-giving cross.
Give us strength to take up our cross daily
and follow you on the road to Mount Calvary.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for transforming our suffering into saving grace,
for the glory of God and the good of our souls.
We love and glorify 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.
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly.” (Mk 8:31)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for those who are afflicted and overwhelmed by sufferings. Offer your own sufferings in union with Christ as a priestly sacrifice. Endeavor to help people live through their pain and loneliness, to unite their sacrifice with that of Christ, and to embrace the mystery of the cross with courage and trust.
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September 16, 2024: MONDAY – SAINTS CORNELIUS, Pope, AND CYPRIAN, Bishop, Martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals the Centurion’s Servant … He Embodies the Eucharist as Sacrifice-Communion”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Cor 11:17-26, 33 // Lk 7:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:1-10): “Not even in Israel I have found such faith.”
(By Bishop Joseph Mukala, India)
The centurion had to face certain challenges when he decided to request him to heal his servant. His own friends must have ridiculed him for seeking the assistance of a so-called Jewish preacher. His own authority over his subjects could prevent him from having recourse to a so-called preacher with magic powers. In any case we can count on his deep faith in the authority of Christ, to whom he pleaded for the cure of his servant … We are in need of healing, both spiritual and mental.
The Lord is ever ready to come under our roof and heal us. He gently tells us that he is ready to come and heal us if only we open ourselves to him and his healing power. The centurion knew that Jesus has power and authority to heal from a distance, as he himself has power and authority to command and get things done. Hence, he humbled himself before Jesus and requested him to exercise his power and authority to heal his servant, without coming to his house … As the centurion acknowledged the power and authority of Jesus in healing his servant, let us also be conscious of our need for the presence of the Lord in our lives – that he may heal us of our spiritual, psychological and mental agonies and wounds. In the same measure, let us also be conscious of people who need our presence for their healing, especially those who are close to us, like the servant who was very close to his master, the centurion.
B. First Reading (1 Cor 11:17-26, 33): “If there are divisions among you, then you do not eat the Lord’s Supper.”
In today’s first reading (1 Cor 11:17-26, 33) Saint Paul deals with the abuses involving the Lord’s Supper. Like the churches in Palestine, the Christian community in Corinth celebrates the Eucharist in the setting of a fraternal meal. But the community is divided and their dissensions result in serious abuses in charity and even in good manners. The well-to-do members bring ample food and drink to the celebration, but refuse to share them with the needy. Instead of showing consideration and concern for those who have nothing, they shamelessly embarrass them. The poor members go hungry while others overindulge and even get drunk. Paul detests such hypocritical gatherings, which are more harmful than profitable. True to his pastoral responsibility, he condemns the abuses.
The apostle Paul then presents the memory of Jesus as the antidote to the disorder in Corinth. He narrates to the Christian community the Lord’s institution of the Eucharist. He reminds them: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, after supper, he took the cup and said, “This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Whenever you drink it, do so in memory of me.” The apostle thus reinforces the reality that every time they eat and drink at the Eucharistic table, they proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus and his self-giving love for all. Saint Paul drives home the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and hopes that with his loving admonition and practical recommendation for the healing of the community, they may be able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper truly and meaningfully.
The following modern day account gives insight into the situations of alienation that characterize Paul’s Corinthian community and the possibility of conversion and healing open to them (cf. Henry Denker’s novel “Payment in Full” in Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, vol. 3, 1991, p. 250-251).The episode reported here happened in 1935, in New York’s Wadleigh High School for Girls. Elvira Hitchins, a very intelligent black girl adopted by a Jewish family and greatly loved by them, is experiencing the pain of racial prejudice in a school where she is the only black student.
By the end of the first week Elvira’s isolation had become a fixed mode of conduct. In classes and in gym she always ended up alone. In the lunchroom one table became hers by default. She covered her hurt by reading her assignments while she ate. She was determined not to give way to tears.
On the second Tuesday of the term Mrs. Shor arrived early, carrying with her the batch of essays her students had handed in the day before. The results were what she expected. Her girls did not lack writing ability, but inhibition was their enemy. She felt sure that by the term’s end she would have them all writing well. The hall bell clanged for class. Mrs. Shor smiled pleasantly as her charges took their seats. She waited until the last of them arrived before she closed the door and faced the class. “Girls,” Mrs. Shor began. “I read and graded all your essays last night. I can’t say that I was pleased. So many of you did not respond to the assignment. Who you really are never came through. There was only one essay that really addressed the topic”. She picked up a one-page essay and began to read.
“WhoAm I? I am the girl who sits alone in the lunchroom. I am the girl no one speaks to. I am the girl the rest of the girls whisper about. They never call me by name. But there is one name they call me behind my back. But no matter how much it hurts, I will not cry. And I will not leave. Like all the other girls, I have earned my place here. And no one is going to drive me out. I will sit alone. I will eat alone. I will graduate alone. But I am here to stay.”
One by one the girls in the class turned their eyes toward Elvira, who sat up straight and tall, impervious to their stares. Mrs. Shor turned in Elvira’s direction. “My dear, I have graded this essay an A.”
Afterward, in the lunchroom, Elvira took her place at her table. She took a sandwich from her lunchbox and began to eat while memorizing her Latin declensions. Shortly thereafter Mildred Thomason, a tall, ungainly girl, slipped away from her own table, taking her lunch with her. She approached Elvira. “Do you mind?” Mildred asked. “No. I don’t mind,” Elvira said. Mildred sat down. For a brief and uneasy time they ate in silence, until the girl said, “I never finished my essay. I got stuck in the middle. After I told all about my family, I didn’t know where to go from there. I guess I couldn’t write about myself.” By that time a girl named Gladys Holtzer had brought her lunch to the table to join them. When the period ended, Mildred said, “Maybe we can all have lunch together tomorrow, Elvira.” “I would love it,” Elvira said.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How does the presence of Mary, at the foot of the cross affect you personally? How do you participate in the passion of Christ … in the passion of the world … in the sufferings of your brothers and sisters?
2. When we partake of the Eucharistic bread and wine, do we truly proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus and allow ourselves to be transformed by his self-giving? Do we show care and concern for the poor and needy who share at the Lord’s Supper?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Father,
as your Son was raised on the cross,
his mother Mary stood by him, sharing his sufferings.
May your Church be united with Christ
in his suffering and death
and so come to share in his rising to new life,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
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Lord Jesus,
we believe that you are really and substantially present
in the most holy sacrament of your body and blood.
Transform us into “new” persons capable of self-giving.
Make our lives “bread broken and shared for the life of the world”.
Let our blood of love flow out
in tender service to our needy brothers and sisters.
May we be your body of salvation and your blood of compassion
for all the marginalized in our society today.
We give you thanks and praise, 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.
“Standing by the cross of Jesus was his mother …” (Jn 19:25) // “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Offer a decade of the Rosary: “The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus on the Cross” for today’s persecuted Christians. If possible, share a meal with a poor and needy member of your parish community.
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September 17, 2024: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (24); SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE, Bishop, Doctor of the Church; SAINT HILDEGARD OF BINGEN, Virgin, Doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Raises the Widow’s Son … We Are Parts of His Body”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a // Lk 7:11-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:11-17): “Young man, I tell you arise!”
I was born before Vatican II and the Mass that I attended when I was a little girl was in Latin. I could not make out what was being done by the priest, nor could I understand what was being said. But I knew, from strict discipline, that inside the church I was supposed to behave. One day, during the Mass, after the parish priest had read in Latin, he took a special book and began to read a story in the vernacular – in our Bicol dialect. I was only five years old, but I listened with rapt attention about a man Jesus raising a widow’s son to life. I was fascinated and loved that story, which I never forgot.
In today’s Gospel (Lk 7:11-17), the raising of the dead in Naim depicts Jesus responding compassionately to a tragedy. Death has taken away, with a wicked hand, the only son of a widow, who is in a pitiable condition. Not only has she lost her only son but, as a widow, she is most vulnerable and defenseless in the Jewish society. Just as he responded benevolently with miraculous power to the good centurion’s request to heal his faithful servant, Jesus manifests in Naim his compassion and efficacious power. Seeing the bereaved mother, he is moved with pity for her and tells her not to weep. He touches the coffin and commands, “Young man, I tell you arise!” The dead man sits up and begins to speak. Jesus gives him back to his mother. The miracle elicits the marvel of the people, who give glory to God. Jesus thus manifests anew his power over life and death.
The miracle of life over death lives on in today’s world. When I was teaching confirmation class in Fresno, one of my students – Ian Flores – was involved in a vehicular accident. The car in which he and three high school classmates were riding was hit by a school bus. The girl driving the car was killed; one classmate was seriously injured and was fighting for her life at the ICU – she eventually recovered; one remained unscathed; and Ian was in coma. His mom told me, “He keeps on sleeping… sleeping … sleeping!” On the eighth day, our pastor Msgr. Pat McCormick said to the comatose boy, “Ian, if you want to spend Christmas at home, you better wake up!” The following day, Ian woke up and made it so difficult for the nurses that the doctor gave in to his desire to go home. When Msgr. Pat and I visited Ian at their ranch, he was limping a little and using a crutch, but otherwise he was okay. The sense of gratitude that pervaded the family was akin to the marvelous feeling that filled the widow of Naim when Jesus raised her dead son to life and gave him back to her.
B. First Reading (1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a): “Now you are Christ’s Body and individually parts of it.”
In the first reading (1Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a), Paul continues to deal with issues that challenge the early Christian community in Corinth. Writing to the contentious Corinthians in 70 A.D., Paul asserts that in one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and given to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, we are the body of Christ and individually parts of it. Christ is one, just as the human body is one, in spite of the diversity and number of its members. By the sacrament of baptism we are incorporated into the risen, glorified body of Christ. The Church, the assembly of Christian believers, is the manifestation and extension of the Lord’s body in this world. The Church is the body of Christ – head and members. We are all significant and important members of this “mystical body” because we all share in the life of the Risen Lord, our head.
In a similar but funny vein, the following story of the carpenter’s tools illustrates that there is a diversity and unity of service in the Lord Jesus.
A carpenter’s tools were having a conference. Brother Hammer was presiding but others informed him that he’d have to leave because he was too noisy. “All right”, he said. “I’ll go, but Brother Plane must withdraw too. There’s no depth in his work. It’s always on the surface.” Brother Plane responded, “Well, Brother Ruler will also have to go. He’s constantly measuring people as if he were the only one who’s right and straight.” Brother Ruler complained about Brother Sandpaper, saying, “He’s rougher than he ought to be. He’s always rubbing people the wrong way.”
In the midst of the discussion the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He went to the workbench to make an ambo from which to proclaim the Word and preach the Gospel. He used the hammer, the plane, the ruler, and the sandpaper. After the ambo was finished, the carpenter’s tools cried out with greater wisdom: “We see now that all of us are instruments together with God. We are all instruments for the proclamation of his saving Word.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we truly love Jesus and trust in the compassion he showed to the widow of Naim? How do we share his benevolence with the people around us?
2. Do we cherish the various charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church? Are we grateful for the body of Christ with its inherent “unity in diversity”? How does the reality of being “all baptized into one body” affect us personally? What do we do to promote Christian unity in today’s world?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
the sight of tragedy moves you to pity.
The grief of the widow of Naim
fills you with compassion.
You therefore raised her dead son to life
and gave him back to her.
We thank you for your loving mercy.
We glorify you for your gift of life
and the triumph of life.
You live and reign, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we believe that we are the body of Christ
and individually parts of it.
In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.
Whatever our racial, cultural, economic differences,
we belong to Christ our head
for we were all given to drink of his Spirit.
Help us to overcome
the scandals of division within the mystical body.
Through the power of his Spirit,
make us a sacrament of unity in today’s world.
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.
“Young man, I tell you arise!” (Lk 7:14) //“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (1 Cor 12:13a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
If there is any occasion to participate in a funeral liturgy, do so with a conscious spirit of love and compassion for the bereaved. Offer special prayers and sacrifices for Christian unity.
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September 18, 2024: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (24)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Does Not Square Up to Their Expectations … He Is Love Incarnate”
BIBLE READINGS
I Cor 12:31-13:13 // Lk 7:31-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:31-35): “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.”
This happened in Rome many years ago. It was summer and the weather was sultry. Instead of using a black habit (that is, the Sister’s dress), I wore white for hygienic reasons. Several Sisters commented that I look better in black. A few days later, I changed again to a black habit for a practical purpose - because I was making a long trip from Rome to northern Italy by train and a black dress is less messy. Some Sisters remarked that I look better in white. I was chagrined! I could not please them either in black or in white.
In today’s Gospel (Lk 7:31-35), Jesus is likewise chagrined by the whims and capriciousness of the people of his generation. They are like children playing in the marketplace who call to one another: “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge for you and you did not weep.” The spoiled brats are not happy because their expectations are not met. Similarly, the religious leaders of Israel are difficult to satisfy. Neither John nor Jesus has squared up to their standards and expectations. They find fault with John because he is too ascetic. They are unhappy with Jesus because he is lax and gluttonous. They are indecisive. Their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah reveals their stubbornness and foolishness. They lack wisdom of heart and have negated God’s plan and his gift of salvation through his Son Jesus Christ.
B. First Reading (1 Cor 12:31-13:13): “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
The first reading (1 Cor 12:31-13:13) is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. Paul’s “Hymn to Love” delineates the life-giving qualities of “love” that ought to animate the Christian community in their baptismal consecration and prophetic mission. God’s gift of love enables the believers to endure all things. Love is the ultimate gift – the one that lasts and surpasses all. Love is what characterizes a person and community worthy of being called “Christian”.
The biblical scholar, Mary Ann Getty, comments on today’s Pauline reading: “In understanding this very famous passage, we need to bear in mind Paul’s description of charity as the gift of the community. It is the more excellent way, the way for all. The love of God, Paul says, has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Rom 5:5). Any gift without love is really nothing (…) The characteristics of love are the opposite of the self-seeking, competitive characteristics of knowledge. The Corinthians’ hierarchy of values fostered factiousness. But this is opposed to Christian community. Unlike the strong who anathematize the weak, love is patient. Unlike the weak who condemn the strong, love is kind. The enlightened or celibate may put on airs or expect certain honors, but this is not the way of love. The poor, the outcast, or the neglected may brood over their injuries, but love will teach them to forgive and hope without condition. It cannot be love that prompts the Corinthians to rejoice over wrong, as in the case of the incestuous man (see 5:1-13) (…) Love does not run out. Prophecies, tongues, knowledge have limits, but love does not (…) The perfect eliminates the imperfect, which it fulfills. Love perfects knowledge, which is imperfect. The Corinthians strive for knowledge, but Paul tells them that this is symptomatic of their immaturity. Even the clearest knowledge is like a shadow compared to love, which sees face to face. The Corinthians reason like children. As they grow in Christian wisdom, they will learn to put aside childish ways and pursue love as the greatest wisdom. They despise what they do not love, but when they become mature, they will see that only love lasts. Of the three realities which endure, the greatest is love.”
I read with great interest the following article on the ministry of a Catholic sister and physician – Mary Christine Reyelt – for hers was a life truly given. The life-giving qualities of love celebrated by Saint Paul in his “Hymn to Love” seemed to take flesh in her (cf. Patricia Talone, “A Life Freely Given” in America, October 5, 2009, p. 22-23, 26). In Mary Christine Reyelt we see a love that endures all things – a love that blossomed in fullness.
Mary Christine Reyelt died on June 1, 2008 because she was fully committed to her beliefs. A Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth (Convent Station, N.J.), she graduated from Georgetown Medical School and completed a residency at Bellevue/Veterans’ Administration, specializing in infectious diseases just as AIDS, a terrifying and then-unnamed disease, was being reported by physicians on both coasts. Once I asked her why she chose this specialty. She fixed me with her direct gaze, looking at me as if I had asked a really strange question: “Because the poor are disproportionately affected by infectious disease”, she said. “That is where a Sister of Charity should be.” That was her primary motivation, her passion.
As a scientist and scholar, Reyelt approached each person living with H.I.V. as a fellow human traveler; she also welcomed the intellectual and scientific challenge to understand, address and beat this devastating disease. She brought her considerable spiritual, social and scientific skills to bear upon the medical reality of each patient she met.
In the early 1990s Reyelt’s fear was realized when she received a needle
stick while treating a patient, an IV-drug user. Although she followed all
the medically prescribed precautions, Reyelt ultimately became so sick with
hepatitis that her liver function failed. Facing certain death without a new
liver and convinced that her work for the sick and dying was not finished,
Reyelt underwent a transplant. The transplantation process was not smooth,
and Reyelt faced disheartening challenges. Yet she was back at her practice
as soon as she was able. She never missed a Catholic AIDS Network Meeting.
Over the years the AIDS network met in many American cities, always on a
shoe-string budget, sometimes in less than desirable venues. Never did I
hear her complain of the medication she had to take or the edema she
frequently experienced. She joked about “moving slowly”, especially in the
morning. But that did not stop her from attending every international AIDS
conference over a 20-year period. She traveled to
Russia, Thailand and Africa to seek the best combinations of medicine to
treat her patients. She took pride in the fact that some of her poorest
patients lived with the disease for many years. And she thrilled in the
knowledge that her female patients gave birth to healthy babies and were
able to provide for their beloved children.
Caring for poor persons living with H.I.V. and ministering to patients who ultimately die of AIDS is a heavy burden for any doctor. Yet Reyelt never seemed overwhelmed or depressed. She was sustained by a deep faith in the Gospel message and a new sense of humor that gave her a light grasp on life. She did not take herself too seriously, nor was she impressed with pedantic pomposity in other professionals. Reyelt’s eyes would often dance with glee as she silently made note of some humorous remark or a situation ripe with irony. Careful not to give offense, she would hold her wry remarks for a private moment, allowing herself to indulge in mirth and embraced the whole human family.
While Reyelt was a physician par excellence, she was first and foremost a Sister of Charity. Her mother got it right when she would introduce her only child, saying, “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Sister Christine, Doctor Reyelt.” Reyelt’s loving religious community gave her the support to work in often trying circumstances. Her sisters provided the grounding, balance and impetus she needed to meet daily challenges. She relished her time apart with them – times of retreat and celebration.
Reyelt’s transplanted liver, the gift of a generous, anonymous donor, served her well for 14 years. It permitted her to treat countless patients, to rack up thousands of frequent-flyer miles, to pray and laugh and to be present to her fellow religious. In February 2008, we met for the last time. Reyelt had a troubling, persistent cough. As a physician she knew that her immune system was severely compromised and that a common cold could lead to systemic illness. Ultimately, infection was the immediate cause of her death, yet her life was not taken from her because of a needle stick. Rather, she gave it fully and freely because of her commitment to Jesus and to the poor and the sick he inspired her to love.
On a misty June afternoon, Christine Reyelt’s worlds – medicine, the state and national boards on which she served, and her religious community – came together in the chapel at Convent Station. Her sisters came to celebrate and thank God for her vocation and dedication; for her prayerfulness, playfulness and humor; and for the way she lived out St. Vincent de Paul’s instruction that “you are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good humored”. Most touching to see was the steady stream of persons, many living with AIDS, and others, family members of those who had died of the disease, who processed up the center aisle, one by one, to offer their thanks for this extraordinary woman.
Not all of us are called to be martyrs, but each one of us is called to give our lives for others. Christine Reyelt was a model of such selfless love, a physician, and a devoted servant of God who lay down her life, not with pomp and circumstance, but with grace, humility and humor.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How do we respond to God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ? Are we indecisive and obstinate, or are we open and receptive to divine grace?
2. Do we try to delve into the meaning of Paul’s “Hymn of Love”? Do we endeavor to respond fully to the sacrificial love of Christ and embrace that excelling love – the love that endures?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
you are the Father’s gift of salvation.
But we are full of whims and caprices
like the spoiled brats in the marketplace.
We refuse to let you enter into our lives.
Forgive us, Lord Jesus,
for we are foolish and stubborn.
Grant us wisdom of heart
so that we may receive divine grace.
Let us welcome you as our saving Lord,
now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for your love
fully revealed in your Son’s self-giving on the cross.
Help us to embrace that excelling love,
the love that endures.
May our love never fail.
May we remain in your love
and in the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit,
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.
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?” (Lk 7:31) //“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:13)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today follow through with your decision to imitate the goodness and kindness of Christ to others, especially the needy and the unfortunate. // Spend some quiet time savoring the beauty and wisdom of Paul’s “Hymn of Love”. By your acts of kindness and charity to those in need, let the people of today’s world experience the reality of a love that endures.
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September 19, 2024: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (24); SAINT JANUARIUS, Bishop, Martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Forgives Our Sins … He Transforms Us by His Grace”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Cor 15:1-11 // Lk 7:36-50
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:36-50): “Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.”
When I was old enough to understand, my mother told me this beautiful story of forgiveness. I was about two years old and the youngest in a brood of three when my father became sick with tuberculosis. Three-fourths of his lungs were gone and my mom had to take care of him full time. My mom felt she could not afford to have another baby, and when she conceived, she tried to abort the pregnancy by taking contraceptive pills. One night she had a nightmare. She dreamed that two children were pursuing her with long stemmed, deadly sickles in their hands. My mom woke up trembling and sweating. The following morning she went to church and confessed to a priest. The priest, however, protracted the sacramental absolution. He advised her to do all what she could to make the baby live. My mother went directly to her friend, a nurse practitioner and asked for help. The nurse gave her vitamins and medications to promote the pregnancy. She also gently chided my mother for her lack of faith in Divine Providence. The baby in my mother’s womb survived and was brought forth. A strong, healthy and handsome boy, and very fair! He would grow up and become a dentist. My mother was forgiven. She was blessed with other children. My father was healed and would live serenely and fruitfully for 82 years.
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 7:36-50) helps us to see the intimate relationship between forgiveness and the gift of love. The sinful woman, who bathes Jesus’ feet with tears of repentance, dries them with her hair, kisses them with devotion, and anoints them with precious ointment, expresses her profound love for Jesus, who is the font of forgiveness. She is overwhelmed with love for the one who forgives – for the one who understands – for the merciful Love in person. The divine forgiveness is always present – we just have to welcome it, respond to it and own it – for Jesus is always present to us. The loving and tender actions of the woman prove that her many sins are forgiven. Because she has embraced Jesus - God’s forgiving love made incarnate - her many sins are forgiven. Indeed, loving deeds and works of charity are indicators that we have really opened ourselves up to the divine gift of forgiveness.
B. First Reading (1 Cor 15:1-11): “So we preach and so you believed.”
Graziano Marcheschi comments on today’s first reading (1 Cor 15:1-11): “The Corinthians have lost the initial fervor with which they have responded to the Gospel. Paul seeks to abate this erosion of commitment and to fortify the faith of his readers. He begins with the essentials, affirming Christ’s saving death (for our sins) and his resurrection. This is the indispensable ground of faith. Lose that and you’ve lost everything, because if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain. Next he stresses the post-resurrection appearances that irrefutably confirm the resurrection.”
By the grace of God, Paul becomes what God intended him to be – totally conformed to Christ. Through divine encounter, Paul becomes a zealous, faithful apostle and preacher of the Good News to the nations. Animated by the power of God, Paul preaches and the people believe. God’s favor at work in Saint Paul makes his apostolic ministry to the Gentiles fruitful. People from many nations and cultures are brought to the love of God, enabling them to participate in the passion, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Paul’s intense religious experience and his unconditional response to the grace of God make him a true and efficacious apostle.
The following testimony of Barbara Kouba, an assistive technologist at California State University San Bernardino, is awe-some (cf. “I Love You For Hating Me” in America, August 17-24, 2009, p. 26-28). At age 17, Barbara became ill with a rare blood disease, a distant cousin of hemophilia, which spawned bursting blood vessels and left her with painful and energy-zapping bruises from her forehead to her big toe.
At first I managed to accept my own illness. But when I witnessed the senseless suffering and death of the hospital ward’s young patients, I sank. All patients under age 20 were put on the same ward, and terminal cases were the norm. In colorless rooms, I saw listless infants with immense needles sticking out of their tiny limbs and necks. Some babies’ heads were the size of a light bulb; others were the size of a basketball. Hollow-eyed children had incurable cancers, birth defects or life-threatening injuries inflicted by abusers. Life-support machines pumped oxygen and fluids through a maze of tubes, yet many of the youngsters became shrunken wraiths. Normal child noises were replaced with mechanical ones. These gray-skinned little people were too ill and too drugged to talk, laugh or cry.
There were no Hail Marys, Our Fathers or Acts of Contrition for this. My rock-hard faith in God shattered into sand. What kind of God would allow innocents to suffer so much? Where was the just and loving God I personally knew and believed in all my life? A sense of betrayal, anger and rage consumed me like an out-of-control wildfire. My final prayer of 1971 summed it up: “I will not love you, God. You’re a monstrous sadist.” (…)
My hematologist consulted a psychiatrist. After one brief outpatient session, I was deemed depressed enough to spend the next few months in a psych ward. I went through a revolving door of psychiatric hospitalizations over the next several years, but each trip found me more deeply depressed. (…) One desperate evening, I asked a hospital staff member to lock me inside the Quiet Room – a tiny padded cell in the psychiatric unit. The room’s thick padding provided me with a cocoon-like safety zone. Huddled in a corner, my knees close to my chest, I was alone except for a vigilant orderly, who made his rounds every 15 minutes. Lights behind the small observation window illuminated his concerned face.
I was a ball of twisted pathology when an unexpected visitor flung open my spirit’s bolted door, refusing to be ignored or rejected another moment. “I love you. I am proud of you.” The simple message was not delivered by the hospital orderly; nor was there a voice, a psychic sign or a Cecil B. DeMille production. But the communication encompassed my total being. It was God. The modus operandi was easily recognizable. After a long pause, my nonverbal response was as subtle as a sledge hammer: “I hate you.” Without pause, God replied, “I love you for hating me.” I was incredulous. “It is understandable.” “What’s understandable?” “That you blame me for all the suffering you witnessed.” “Only a monster would let innocent children suffer. I can’t believe in a cruel, sadistic monster.” “That is why I love you.” My battered brain ached. My Irish temper seethed. I needed clarification. “You agree that you’re a monster?” “I love you and am proud you would never believe in anyone you think could be cruel or sadistic. I want your suffering to end.” “Why me? Why not the others?” “Why not you?” “But so many die? “Life is a series of dyings and risings. People accept this in nature, but sometimes fear death on a personal level.” How quickly God got me to the core of things. “I don’t fear death. I want death.” “It is not your time. I decide when it is time for souls to move on.” “Life has no purpose.” “It is when there is no purpose that you must find a new one.”
My mind turned into a mental video camera stuck on play. No pause or stop button. Sick baby scenes replayed with endless looping. It felt as if an icy hand gripped my heart. My breathing became labored. I cried helpless tears. I heaved with years of bottled-up anguish. “Like it or not, the past is an essential part of your life. But you must find life’s goodness again.” “How God?” “By looking within.” “No, I’m hollow inside. I did nothing to help those kids.” It was the first time I had revealed my failures and limitations to myself. “Once you find your goodness, you can use it to help others.” “How? How will I ever find it?” “I will help, but only if you open the door and accept me. You have free will, so it is your choice.” God’s reaction was gentle but firm. “But I’m still angry.” “Anger can be a positive emotion when it’s transformed to do good.” “If you’re God, why not give me an instant miracle?” I reasoned. “Miracles abound. But you must stop self-destructing. Trust me. Then every day for the rest of your life you will find a gift from me to you.” Ever so timidly I opened my heart, mind and soul. Unconditional love, comfort and peace surrounded me from the inside out and the outside in. Before I fell into a restorative sleep, God repeated the original message. “I love you. I am proud of you.”
I refused to share this transformative experience with the atheist psychiatrist, yet even he noticed a definitive change. Within a week, I was discharged from the hospital; within months, I stopped all prescription drugs and turned completely to God, the Master Healer (…) I enlisted and served four years as a U.S. Army chaplain’s assistant, where I developed professional faith-based counseling and therapy techniques to serve fellow soldiers better. Then I earned a master’s degree in instructional technology and embarked on a new career as an assistive technology instructor and practitioner (…) Today 36 years worth of cumulative gifts are evidence of God’s love that resonates through me. The most extraordinary of God’s gifts emerge from ordinary relationships. Topping my list is my husband, David, a gentle and caring man who in 19 years of marriage had loved and accepted me in a way no one else has. What about my anger? It’s still there. But rather than self-destructing, I channel my emotions constructively into organizations like Special Olympics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Catholic Charities.
A byproduct of healing is maturity. God is no longer my scapegoat for life’s problems; instead, I find answers revealed through prayer, acceptance and interactions with others. Accepting death, especially a child’s death, is still a challenge, but I better understand the process of dying and rising as exemplified by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What insights can we derive from the “sinful woman” who had greatly loved Jesus, the forgiving Love made flesh? Do we endeavor to approach Jesus, wash his feet with tears of repentance and anoint them with the balm of love and spirit of contrition? Do we allow Jesus’ merciful love to transform us?
2. Like Saint Paul, do we allow the grace of God to heal us and transform us? Are we willing to participate fully in the paschal mystery of Christ’s death and rising? Are we ready to give a limpid witness to our faith?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you forgave the sinful woman
who washed your feet with tears of repentance
and anointed them with the balm of love.
Listen to our prayers:
forgive our sins,
renew our hearts by your love,
help us to live in unity as your disciples
that we may proclaim to all your saving power.
You incarnate God’s loving mercy
and you live now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we have experienced your love
in your faithful Servant-Son Jesus Christ.
He died for us and, raised from the dead, he was glorified.
The grace of our Risen Lord enfolds us.
Let us become persons totally “christified”
and fully committed to your service and praise,
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.
“Her many sins have been forgiven” (Lk 7:47) //“God’s grace to me has not been ineffective.” (1 Cor 15:10a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that God’s merciful love may be experienced by those who have sinned against him and that they may open themselves up to his gift of forgiveness. // Spend quality time delving into the personal meaning of the Gospel in your life. Sustained by the grace of God, endeavor to share the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection with people whose faith has been shattered and enfeebled by adverse circumstances and difficult trials.
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September 20, 2024: FRIDAY – SAINTS ANDREW KIM TAE-GON, Priest, PAUL CHONG HA-SANG AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Accompanied By Ministering Women … He Is Our Resurrection”
BIBLE READINGS
1 Cor 15:12-20 // Lk 8:1-3
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 8:1-3): “Accompanying them were some women who provided for them out of their resources.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 8:1-3) is a beautiful image of ministering women. While Jesus travels through towns and villages preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God, he is accompanied not only by the “Twelve” apostles but also by women who responded to Jesus out of gratitude for the blessings received from him. These remarkable women use their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples. Jesus imparts a new dignity and role to women, involving them in his public ministry. The “ministering women” of the Gospel are a figure of the wonderful array of women who fulfill vital ministries in the Church through the ages. The backbones in most missionary movements are women and they continue to play prominent and indispensable roles in successful Christian spiritual-apostolic endeavors.
The ministering women in Jesus’ public ministry are intimate participants in the paschal mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. When Jesus dies on the cross, the women who have followed him from Galilee are present, standing and witnessing the event at a distance. They prepare the spices and perfume for Jesus’ burial and witness how Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb. Above all, they are the first witnesses and messengers of the resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Risen Lord’s Easter gift, women continue, through time and space, to proclaim zealously the joy of the Gospel.
The following account in the life of Blessed James Alberione, Founder of the Pauline Family, is an example of how women cooperate in the spread of the Gospel and in the priestly zeal (cf. Luigi Rolfo, James Alberione: Apostle for Our Times, trans. Salvatore Paglieri, New York: Alba House, 1987, p. 113-114)
A Great Benefactress: In those days, he came to know a truly precious cooperator to whom he felt duty bound to pay a debt of gratitude … He met her under circumstances of which we have news through the testimony of one of the very first Paulines.
The government had requisitioned a wing of the diocesan seminary for military use. The wing had been left vacant since many clerics had been called into military service. Among the soldiers lodged at the seminary where Father Alberione maintained a bedroom – since he still did not have one at his own house – there was a young, pale official of distinguished and aristocratic mien who one day revealed to the young priest the discomfort it caused him to have to sleep in the middle of such slovenly and poorly educated soldiers. Father Alberione felt obliged to perform an act of Christian and priestly generosity: he let the young official have his room and bed and resigned himself to sleeping on a couch in the refectory or in the hallway of his house.
The mother of the official, a Mrs. Amalia Cavazza-Vitali, occupant of the castle of Barbaresco, informed about what had happened, wanted to meet the priest who had been so generous towards her son; and, in finding out that he didn’t have a mattress, hurried to acquire one better than the one he had given up to her son and donate it to him. Father Alberione thanked her, but immediately passed the mattress on to one of his boys who had none. The lady bought a second one which went yet to another boy. Then, like any mother, she acquired a third and brought it to Father Alberione. She consigned it to him stating very clearly: “Remember I’m not giving this to you but only lending it and I intend to be able to come back and get it at any moment. For that reason, you can use it only. Do I make myself understood?” And so, whether he liked it or not, the priest had to accept these conditions, keep the mattress for himself and use it.
The mattresses were just a small part of the many gifts which Mrs. Cavazza, now an enthusiastic cooperator in the works of Father Alberione, gave to the House up to 1922 when the Lord called her to Himself. When she came to know that Father Alberione wanted to have a little chapel in the house, she gave him a beautiful chalice, which was used for the first time on June 29, 1918. Twice a week a cart left Barbaresco carrying to Alba the famous “Barbaresco” wine, coffee, meat, home-made bread, fruit, medicine, etc. – all things destined for Father Alberione but which, because of his disposition, were regularly passed on to his boys.
The lady wanted to do more and to give not only things but her time as well: she helped in editing The Gazette of Alba; she offered two manuscripts of her own, “The Duties of Daughters” and “Duties of Wives and Mothers”; and she assisted every time she could in reading and correcting the proofs.
B. First Reading (1 Cor 15:12-20): “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.”
In today’s first reading (1 Cor 15:12-20), Saint Paul asserts that those who believe in the resurrection of Christ are blessed. Pitiable instead are those who deny the resurrection of the dead for they ultimately negate the Lord’s resurrection and our very own redemption. The biblical scholar, Harold Buetow, comments: “Our true existence is beyond both space and time. The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee of our own resurrection and is what puts sense into choosing Christ’s way. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead proves that truth is stronger than fiction, that love is stronger than hatred, that good is stronger than evil and that life is stronger than death. Paul calls Jesus’ resurrection from the dead the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (v. 20). Every Jew in Paul’s audience would understand that the first fruits referred to that part of the harvest which was the first and the best to ripen, a sign of the harvest to come. Jesus’ resurrection, too, was a sign of the harvest of resurrection of all believers to come. The resurrection is so fundamental to Christian belief that it, along with the cross, stands at the center of our teaching.”
Faith in the Risen Lord Jesus and belief in the resurrection of the dead go hand in hand. Trust in God enables us to feel tremendous comfort in the death of our loved ones. The loving God fills the weeping hearts of bereaved family members and friends with the beatitude of consolation. The following text, used by the Grief Ministry Team at St. Christopher Parish in San Jose (CA-USA), is insightful and strengthens the hope of the bereaved in the resurrection.
To My Dearest Family
Some things I’d like to say, but first of all to let you know that I arrived okay. I’m writing this from heaven where I dwell with God above where there are no more tears or sadness. There is just eternal love. Please do not be unhappy just because I’m out of sight. Remember that I’m with you every morning, noon and night. That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through, God picked me up and hugged me and he said, “I welcome you. It’s good to have you back again. You were missed while you were gone. As for your dearest family, they’ll be here later on.” When you are walking down the street and have me on your mind, I’m walking in your footsteps only half a step behind. When you feel that gentle breeze or the wind upon your face, it is me giving you a great big hug or just a soft embrace. And when it’s time for you to go from that body to be free, remember you’re not going alone. You are coming here to me. And I will always love you from that land way up above. We’ll be in touch again soon.
P.S. God sends his love.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Am I sensitive to the needs of the Gospel workers? Do I promote and collaborate in their ministry? How?
2. Do we truly believe that Christ has been raised from the dead, “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep”? Are we grace-filled on account of our faith in the blessed resurrection?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
your Son Jesus became poor
and allowed the ministering women
to provide for his needs.
Like the holy women who joined Jesus in his public ministry,
may we collaborate intimately in his saving ministry.
Jesus is our life and resurrection.
Let us die to self and share fully in his blessed resurrection.
We give you glory and praise, 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 provided for them out of their resources.” (Lk 8:3) // “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (I Cor 15:20)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Endeavor to help the needy priests in any way you can. When you participate in a Funeral Mass, let it be an expression of your faith in Christ’s own resurrection and our own resurrection.
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September 21, 2024: SATURDAY – SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Matthew to Follow Him … He Is the Source of Gifts to Build Up the Church”
BIBLE READINGS
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 // Mt 9:9-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 9:9-13): “Follow me. And standing up, he followed him.”
The Fresno-based Poverello House is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization whose mission is to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass their way, to feed the hungry, offer focused rehabilitation programs, temporary shelter, medical, dental and other basic services to the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability through Providential and community support. Its founder is Mike McGarvin, a man who had experienced God’s mercy and transforming compassion through a saintly Franciscan priest, Fr. Simon Scanlon. They met at the “Poverello Coffee House” which Fr. Simon opened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, notorious for its poverty, prostitution and violence. Mike narrates: “Gradually my life of self-indulgent destruction was being replaced by a life of service … I began seeing people through Father Simon’s eyes. He, in turn, saw people through Christ’s eyes, and he deeply believed that Jesus walked among the poor and the outcast. It was a revelation to me. The more I got to know the people who came to Poverello, the more compassion I felt for them.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 9:9-13) is not only a concise presentation of Matthew’s vocation story, but also a powerful theology of the Christ, as full of compassion and mercy. The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent explains: “St. Matthew records his own calling in a simple, straightforward way … Christ chooses and calls; the person chosen and called immediately leaves everything and follows Jesus … Jesus comes to dine with Matthew and the other disciples in Matthew’s house at Capernaum; they are joined at table by many tax collectors and sinners, to whose ranks Matthew belonged until now. It is easy to see the point Matthew wants to make, namely, that Jesus has come into the world to save not only the Jews but others as well, including sinners. When Jesus is challenged for eating with sinners, we observe that he does not justify himself but simply speaks of himself as a physician. A physician does not have to justify his presence among the sick; neither does Jesus. Matthew is thus, once again, offering us a theology of the Christ. Jesus is characterized by mercy, because his Father is mercy itself and he, Jesus, has been sent in order to communicate God’s mercy.”
B. First Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13: “It was his gift that some should be apostles, others evangelists.”
Today’s First Reading (Eph 4:1-7, 11-13) is about the unity and growth in the Body of Christ and the various gifts received from Christ for the building up of the Church. Saint Paul urges the believers to live a life worthy of their Christian calling. The Holy Spirit, the single inner source of Christian life, moves all members toward what promotes peace and harmony. Within this basic unity, there are gifts from the Risen Christ so that each member may contribute in a unique way to the growth and progress of the Church. The one who “gave gifts to mankind” has appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. Saint Matthew is an example of those whose roles are essential to the life of the Church. The giftedness of the Church is in view of the unity in our faith and the growth in the knowledge of Christ. We endeavor to become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s stature.
The following profile of a parishioner shows how one’s “gifts” are used for Church ministry and the building of the Body of Christ (cf. Jessi Emmert, “Francis O’Brien: Constant Fixture at His Parish” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 30, 2012, p. 12).
Francis O’Brien, a retired military officer, is a vital part of St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia. He leads the Rosary before the 8:00 a.m. daily Mass, serves as a lector when needed and is secretary of the parish’s pro-life committee. “He’s the type of person who is quiet”, said Yakaly Fernandez, a fellow parishioner. “He will do things without anybody knowing, and that’s what I think is amazing.” O’Brien is a fixture in the parish. “He’s there every single morning”, Fernandez said.
O’Brien loves his parish because of its active and vibrant culture. “We have perpetual Eucharistic adoration, which is a great thing for a parish”, he said. “I take part in that.”
O’Brien’s wife, Judy, is also involved at St. Peter Chanel and serves on the pro-life committee with him. The parish is the closest one to the couple’s home, and they have been attending since the parish began in 1998. O’Brien described how they have seen the church grow throughout the years. “In the beginning, Mass was being held in school gymnasiums and so on, then to the temporary sanctuary, and now we’re in the permanent church”, he said.
O’Brien is also involved in a Catholic outreach, “The Society of St. Francis and St. Therese” that sends out postcards to the public, offering a free course in Catholicism. He has used his retirement in a beautiful way that gives back to the Church. His passion for stewardship, evangelization, service and commitment to life represent the qualities of a strong and focused parishioner.
O’Brien is a symbol of the countless men and women who serve in parishes around the world. While they may not have an official title in the Church, their dedication and servants’ hearts make the ministry of the Catholic Church possible. Their silent but steadfast work may often go unnoticed, but they deserve a standing ovation for their loyalty and love.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is our response to Jesus’ call addressed personally to each of us, “Follow me”? Are we willing to welcome fully into our hearts Jesus and the gift of divine mercy that he brings?
2. How do we promote the unity and vitality of the Church? What are the “gifts” we have received from the Risen Christ and how do we use them for the building up of the Church?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are kind and merciful.
In calling Matthew,
and in dining with sinners and tax collectors,
you reveal that you are truly the divine physician
who comes to heal our sickness and infirmities.
Help us to cling to your words:
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
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Loving Father,
we are many parts of the one body.
We thank you for the oneness and fullness that you give us
through Christ in the Spirit.
May the “gifts” we have received
be wisely used for service
and to build up the Body of Christ.
We give you glory and praise, 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 week. Please memorize it.
“Follow me.” (Mt 9:9) //“But grace was given to each of us.” (Eph 4:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your vocation, ministry and compassionate acts of mercy, resound in today’s world God’s call to Matthew and to us all: “Follow me!” // Identify your “gifts” received from the Risen Christ and, in imitation of Saint Matthew, put them to use for the building up of Christ’s Body, the Church.
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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