A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 22, n. 45)
Week 27 in Ordinary Time: October 6-12, 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 29 – October 5, 2024 please go to ARCHIVES Series 21 and click on “Ordinary Week 26”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: October 6-12, 2024.)
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October 6, 2024: TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches the Sanctity of Marriage”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Gn 2:18-24 // Heb 2:9-11 // Mk 10:2-16
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A, Gospel Reading (Mk 10:2-16): “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
This happened in the Philippines. Fr. Allan Lastimosa’s parents from Cebu Island visited him at his parish in Metro Manila. They joyfully celebrated his mom’s birthday at their family reunion. Soon it was time for his mom and dad to sail for their hometown. Fr. Allan brought his parents and nephew to the Manila pier and sent them off. That was the last time he would see his parents alive. They were among those who died when the ship was hit by a typhoon and sank. The nephew survived to tell the story. Fr. Allan’s dad refused to leave his fragile wife behind. He could have escaped the sinking ship, but chose to remain with her. Death perfected their marriage covenant.
Today’s Gospel (Mk 10:2-16) continues to underline the demands of Christian discipleship. Jesus teaches that spouses must live in faithful union until death. Citing Gen 1:27 (“God made them male and female”) and Gen 2:24 (“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”), Jesus presents marriage as the irrevocable union of a man and a woman. In the divine plan, the married couple constitutes “one flesh” and their covenant endures. Jesus Master asserts: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10:9).
Jesus enunciates the ideal of indissoluble marriage in the context of the advent of God’s kingdom, which surpasses all human relationships. But our weaknesses and sin tend to betray this noble ideal. Though aware of the painful issue of marital failure and divorce, the Church upholds, then and now, Christ’s teaching on the sacredness and inviolability of the nuptial covenant. In a world where marriage is a convenience, Christian couples are called to witness to the sacred and enduring character of the marriage bond. The love that impels a man and woman to be united in “one flesh” reflects the indefectible love of God for his creatures. God bestows upon spouses the grace and the mission to give witness to his enduring love.
Today’s Gospel reading concludes with Jesus’ encounter with children. The inclusion of this passage drives home the point that to accept Christ’s radical teaching on marriage requires the openness of children and a sense of dependence on God’s strength. Indeed, the remarkable response of spouses to uphold the sacredness and integrity of marriage is made possible through God’s mercy and grace.
B. First Reading (Gn 2:18-24): “The two of them become one flesh.”
It was our joy in September 2006 to celebrate with Tomas and Lourdes Banaga their 50th wedding anniversary. This remarkable couple regularly comes to our Fresno chapel for the weekday Mass. Tomas, with his splendid voice, has greatly helped us in our music ministry. Lourdes, a “prayer warrior” and a devoted adorer of the Blessed Sacrament, has collaborated wonderfully in our Eucharistic apostolate. Tomas became seriously ill in December 2005 and fell into coma. Lourdes ardently prayed for his healing through the intercession of Blesses James Alberione. Lourdes made a vow that if Tomas recovered, they would enter the Holy Family Institute, founded by Blessed Alberione. On the third day of his coma, Tomas woke up and was restored to health. Tomas and Lourdes made good their promise. On the golden anniversary of their marriage, they were admitted to the Novitiate in the Holy Family Institute, which seeks to promote the holiness of married life.
The Old Testament reading (Tobit 8:4b-8) used at the Eucharistic Celebration of the renewal of their marriage vows was intensely appropriate. Tomas and Lourdes felt that the following prayer made by Tobit and Sarah on their wedding night was their very own:
Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, “it is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.” Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Gen 2:18-24) contains the Yahwist account of the creation of man and woman in the Book of Genesis and offers a foundation for the theology of marriage as a sacrament of unity. This narrative underlines the vocation to human intimacy and communion of man and woman and reinforces the equality and dignity of both of them as perfectly matched partners. According to the biblical scholar Lawrence Boadt: “Being alone is not good for humans. God creates animals and allows man to name them and thereby enter into a living relationship with them, which includes stewardship over them. But none is fit for him. He needs a true partner, and to get one God initiates yet another act of creation. By putting the man into a deep sleep God assures the same autonomy to woman as to man – she depends directly on God for her being. The actual story may derive from an old folk tale that plays on the rib and the nearness to the heart. The heart is the source of both intellect and will in ancient thought and so God makes Eve as fully human as Adam. The description also plays on the attraction of love, which draws men and women to each other from the heart. The fitting identity of the two human creatures is made complete by the little poem in v. 23 – they are the same because he is ’ish and she is ’ishah, a pun in Hebrew that is like saying man and wo-man in English.”
The Yahwist narrative of human creation presents a very lofty and noble vision of human sexuality. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 5, comment: “It is the search for communion that drives man and woman toward union, and not the impulse of a carnal, uncontrollable, and blind instinct … It is a masculine-feminine world, and not a uniquely masculine world that God has created. From the beginning, he has placed woman at the man’s side, like to him, of the same nature, from the same flesh, as the Bible says in a more concrete and expressive manner. To break this unity, to harm this complementarity, to upset this dynamic and fecund balance introduces into God’s work a grave disorder, because it generates endless conflicts, painful competition for supremacy, perturbations of all kinds.”
C. Second Reading (Heb 2:9-11): “He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin.”
The depth and strength of the love relationship between God and his people, symbolized in a faithful and enduring marriage between a man and a woman, are reiterated in today’s Second Reading (Heb 2:9-11). The author of the letter to the Hebrews expresses the ideal relationship between God and his people in terms of a filial, intimate relationship. Jesus, who consecrates and redeems, and those he consecrates and redeems all have one origin. Thus, they are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. Christ’s incarnation and his redemptive suffering brought about the reconciliation and the intimate union between God and his prodigal children. The paschal mystery of the Servant-Son of God led to his glorification and the perfection of our filial relationship with God the Father. Indeed, because of Jesus’ deep solidarity with us, we are able to attain a profound, fruitful and life-giving relationship with our Creator God and Father.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 5, explicate: “God allowed his Son to become of the same race as human sinners in order to save them. The broken relationship between God and humankind is thus marvelously restored, thanks to the Son of God made human being, by the initiative of the offended one. From all eternity united with the Father in an indissoluble way, from now on – one with humans through his incarnation and his experience of death – Christ has bridged the impassable abyss between heaven and earth.”
The following story is intense and thought provoking (cf. Christine Trollinger, “Healing Grace” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavins, Matthew Pinto & Patti Armstrong, West Chester: Ascension Press, 1990, p.64-68). It illustrates the heroic, loving effort of the husband to be kind and faithful to his problematic wife. His patient suffering and his fidelity bore abundant fruits in the forgiving, charitable stance of his daughter and the eventual conversion and healing grace experienced by his wife.
Mother and I had never been close. She was very temperamental and domineering. Her quick temper had inflicted great emotional wounds on our family as we were growing up. My father, on the other hand, was a gentle soul. I adored him and was always Daddy’s little girl. As an adult I tried to leave the past in the past, but my mother’s behavior while my beloved father was dying brought fresh strain to our relationship. Mother was neither patient nor kind during Dad’s suffering. The disruption in her life angered her, and probably scared her. Yet, I could not accept her bad temperament during this time.
After my father’s death in 1985, however, I knew I had a responsibility to both God and Dad to forgive. It helped to remember how patient my father had always been. He loved my mother, faults and all. I recalled many times as a child that whenever Mom had been especially cruel, my father would come into my room, out of my mother’s earshot. He would hug me and say, “Please don’t hate her; she needs more love and forgiveness than most people do. She is God’s treasure just as you are.”
After Dad’s death, I wanted to honor my Dad. I knew his hopes and prayers were that I could love and forgive my mom. This was beyond my human frailties so I prayed to God for the grace to do so. As the years passed my feelings of distrust and resentment ebbed. I managed to lay the past to rest as Christ would have me do. Mother and I built a decent, if not perfect, relationship as mother and daughter. The past was just that – the past. The future I would leave to God.
Then during the first week of September 1992, I awoke from a dream sensing a very firm command: “Go home and see your mother.” I had ceased to question God’s inspiration when I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit. As soon as daylight broke, I packed my suitcase. My husband suggested we call to make sure she was all right. Everything was fine and Mother sounded very happy that I would be visiting her over Labor Day.
I arrived by mid-afternoon and Mom and I had an enjoyable time going out to dinner and visiting friends. Mother cut the evening short explaining there was a program on television she wanted to watch. When we got home I got ready for bed and sat in the living room reading my nightly scripture as Mom watched TV. The television volume gradually increased. Every few moments Mom asked, “Does that bother you?” “No, it’s fine”, I repeatedly told her. Finally she had turned the volume all the way up. “Does that bother you?” She asked in a loud but shaky voice. I put down the Bible and looked at her. “Well, it is loud. Are you trying to tell me something? Are you having hearing problems?” I asked. Mother looked at me with searching eyes. Still, I did not understand. Returning the sound back to normal, she explained, “No, what I mean is, does this program bother you?” For the first time, I looked over to see what she was watching. It was a program on child abuse. “I was not talking about the sound”, she said. “I meant, what do you think of parents who abuse their children?”
I was caught off guard. I stared into her eyes. For the first time I recognized pain and remorse. Huge tears trickled down her cheeks. My response was instinctive. “Mom, I love you”, I cried, truly meaning it. “And if you are asking for my forgiveness, you have had it for years. Don’t cry”, I said, coming over to kiss her cheek. “It is all in the past. It doesn’t matter any more.” I then hugged her and wiped her tears away. No more words were needed. It truly was now in the past. For my proud mother to humble herself to ask forgiveness was a grace I never imagined.
The next Saturday, we began with a visit to church to pray the Rosary. Tears of joy, and also of sorrow for all the wasted years streamed down my face. But I praised God for this new beginning. The rest of the day we filled with shopping and sharing as a mother and daughter who fully loved and respected one another. We went to an estate sale and found ourselves giggling and laughing like young schoolgirls. Mom bought me a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, which had seen better days. The face was chipped and it had no nose. But it was a precious treasure, representing our newfound love for one another. I basked in the grace of healing. (…)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we believe in Jesus’ radical affirmation: “What God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10: 9)? What do we do to make Christian marriage what it is intended to be: the sign of the union between the bridegroom, Christ, and his bride, the Church? With regard to Christ’s radical teaching on the inviolability of marriage, do we respond to it with the openness of children and a sense of dependence on God’s strength?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Adapted from the Blessing of a Married Couple Outside Mass, cf. Book of Blessings)
Almighty and eternal God,
you have so exalted the unbreakable bond of marriage
that it has become the sacramental sign
of your Son’s union with the Church as his spouse.
Look with favor on those whom you have united in marriage.
They ask for your help and the protection of the Virgin Mary.
They pray that in good times and in bad
they will grow in love for each other
and be of one heart in the bond of peace.
Loving Lord,
in their struggles
let them rejoice that you are near to help them;
in their needs
let them know that you are there to rescue them.
In their joys
let them see that you are the source and completion
of every happiness.
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.
“What God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10: 9).
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Spend a moment of quiet prayer thanking the Lord for the sacrament of marriage in the Church. Pray for all married couples, offering special petitions for those who are having marital problems. Next time you attend a Church wedding, pay attention to the text and rituals of the celebration. Try to capture the celebration’s message for you.
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October 7, 2024: MONDAY – OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Be a Neighbor … He Reveals Himself to Paul the Apostle”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 1:6-12 // Lk 10:25-37
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 10:25-37): “Who is my neighbor?”
Tim Montanari’s story, “Saving Melissa” in Guideposts magazine (July 2004) is notable in that it shows what it means to be a neighbor to one in need. Tim, a police officer in charge of the anti-vice squad at St. Petersburg, Florida, met Melissa Collora, the sweet little girl he used to babysit, after thirteen years as a crack-addicted prostitute, caught in a drug deal in an alley of a notorious neighborhood. Tim remembered being at the Collora’s home on steamy summer days when he was 15 or so, playing football in the yard with her brothers. Melissa, about three, would sit on the swing-set clutching her teddy bear, watching them with big brown eyes, so sweet and innocent. When she was eight, Mr. Collora died and her mother remarried. Melissa’s stepfather abused her. In 1993 her mother committed suicide. Melissa went to live with relatives outside New York City, where she discovered crack cocaine and life on the street. Tim, a man of faith who tries to see the best in people, made every effort to help Melissa, to no avail. “That girl’s a lost cause,” the officers in his squad said. “Why do you keep trying?” One day, Melissa was ready for a change and appealed to him for help. Tim’s court testimony on her behalf was instrumental in having Melissa’s imminent ten-year sentence at a state prison commuted to treatment at the Walter Hoving Home in New York. Now Melissa is doing well and recovering. Tim Montanari asserted, “What I did for her wasn’t much, but I think it was the best thing I could have done.”
The Gospel reading on the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37), which is set in the context of Jesus’ paschal journey to the cross, underlines an important element of Christian discipleship: love of neighbor. The parable of the Good Samaritan delineates the Christian exigency of active service. Together with the story of the two pious disciples, Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42) on the pre-eminence of listening to the word of Jesus, the parable of the Good Samaritan helps depict Luke’s comprehensive image of discipleship as love of Jesus present in our neighbor (active charity) and in his living Word (contemplative prayer).
The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that the concept of “neighbor” is not a matter of blood ties, nationality, or religious communion. There is no theoretical definition of neighbor or practical limits to those whom we could consider a neighbor. Our “neighbor” is the one to whom we draw near because he or she is in need of our help and evokes our compassion. Harold Buetow, moreover, sees in this thought-provoking parable a new definition of neighbor: “In the Book of Leviticus, the neighbor was one to be loved, such as a countryman. The new definition of neighbor is one who loves.”
Furthermore, Luke’s parable helps us to focus on the figure of Christ, our ultimate “neighbor”. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6, p. 129, write: “He is the Good Samaritan par excellence, beyond all comparison. No one has been or will ever be so completely the neighbor of each person. He did not encounter them by chance on the road. He voluntarily came to seek them, he, the Word of God who has taken flesh. He not only did everything for them, but he handed himself over for them; he died and rose that they might have everlasting life.”
B. First Reading (Gal 1:6-12): “The Gospel preached by me is not of human origin but through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Today we begin the semi-continuous reading of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The recipients of this letter are the predominantly Gentile converts in north Galatia who are of Indo-Aryan origin and related to the Celts. Paul writes the letter around 54-55 A.D. from Ephesus during his 3rd missionary journey. The dominant motif of the letter is: salvation through Christ according to the Father’s plan. Paul opposes all those who refute or jeopardize this reality.
In today’s reading (Gal 1:6-12), after greeting the Galatians, Paul does not make an act of thanksgiving as he often does in his letters, but goes directly to the point. He berates them for allowing themselves to the influenced so quickly and easily by those who have distorted the Gospel. The culprits are the “Judaizers”, that is, Christians who believe and insist that converts to Christianity should also observe Jewish practices, such as circumcision and dietary restrictions. The situation is so serious that he condemns anyone who perverts the Gospel proclaimed by him. The troublemaking “Judaizers” have likewise challenged Paul’s authority as an “apostle” on the grounds that his commission did not come from Christ personally. Moreover, they have also accused him of opportunism.
Thus Saint Paul promptly defends his position as an apostle. He contends that his authoritative commission comes from the Risen Lord himself. He asserts: “The Gospel I preach is not of human origin. I did not receive it from anyone, nor did anyone teach it to me. It was Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to me.” For Paul, there is no other good news except the Gospel of salvation in Christ that he proclaims. His open attitude towards non-Jews is not currying favor nor to be interpreted as opportunism. He is simply a servant following the divine will.
The following story illustrates in a humorous vein the foolish stance of the gullible Galatians (cf. Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations, New York: Image Books, 1988, p. 70).
A Guru promised a scholar a revelation of greater consequence than anything contained in the scriptures. When the scholar eagerly asked for it, the Guru said, “Go out into the rain and raise your head and arms heavenward. That will bring you to the first revelation.”
The next day, the scholar came to report: “I followed your advice and water flowed down my neck. And I felt like a perfect fool.”
“Well”, said the Guru, “for the first day that’s quite a revelation, isn’t it?”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Did we ever ask the Divine Master the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” If yes, in what spirit or attitude did we pose that question? Are we truly neighbors to those in need? Do we respond to them with compassion? Do we trust that Jesus is the Good Samaritan par excellence and our true neighbor?
2. Do we cling to the true meaning of the Gospel or do we allow ourselves to be swayed by false teachings that pervert the spirit of the Gospel? How are we faithful to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
we no longer wish to ask,
“Who is our neighbor?”
But rather, we examine our heart and ask,
“Are we neighbors to those in need?”
You are the Good Samaritan, our ultimate neighbor.
With you living in us and we living in you,
may we incarnate your love
and serve those in need.
Give us the grace to perceive and to live out
the true spirit of the Gospel you have share with us.
We love you and adore 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.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 9:23) // “The Gospel came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:12)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all of our neighbors in need of love and compassion. By your kind words and deeds be a Good Samaritan and a true neighbor to those in need. At Mass, pay particular attention to the proclamation of the lectionary text from the Galatians.
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October 8, 2024: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (27)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Welcome His Word … Saint Paul Proclaims His Gospel to the Gentiles”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 1:13-24 // Lk 10:38-42
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 10:38-42): “Martha welcomed him into her house. Mary has chosen the better part.”
One thing I have in common with Sr. Mary Adele Tozzi, now deceased, is a love for pasta. One day as we were enjoying a delicious serving of spaghetti cooked “al dente” and topped with dense tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese, she narrated a modern version of the Lord’s visit to Martha and Mary.
Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening attentively to his words. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord replied, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. A plate of pasta and a glass of wine will do.”
We hear in today’s Gospel (Lk 10:38-42) that in the course of his paschal journey to Jerusalem, Jesus stops in Bethany to rest in the home of Martha and Mary. They receive him with solicitude and hospitality. Martha’s type of hospitality, however, is full of anxiety and her concern misdirected. She is more concerned with the serving than the one served. Hence, Martha’s misguided hospitality provokes a good-natured reproach from Jesus. He invites her to sort out her priorities and examine her concerns. Jesus wants her to set aside the anxieties of a fretful hostess bent on preparing a perfect meal. It is important advice given by the Divine Master journeying toward the Easter glory. Martha’s desire to prepare a perfect meal and her anxiety for the “details of hospitality” detract from what really matters: to listen to Jesus, the life-giving Word.
In the context of the total paschal event in which Jesus becomes the Bread broken and shared for the life of the world, we can perceive that the true host in the Bethany home is Jesus himself. He breaks the bread of the living Word for Mary, whose spiritual hunger is satisfied as she peacefully sits beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. As the host of the spiritual feast, Jesus also wants the hardworking Martha to be nourished by the bread of the Word. He seeks from her the hospitality that really matters – the one that her sister lavishes upon him. Indeed, Mary of Bethany is an image of a true disciple. She chooses the better part - the primary one - to listen to the Lord’s saving Word in order to act upon it.
B. First Reading (Gal 1:13-24): “God was pleased to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles.”
The reading (Gal 1:13-24) is a personal account of Paul’s conversion, vocation and mission. He narrates to the Galatians that from a bold persecutor of “the church of God”, he was chosen by the gracious God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. He reminds the Galatians that he was ultra-devoted to the Jewish religion and traditions. But God in his grace destined him even before he was born to be his servant. God graciously revealed his Son to him so that he might proclaim him to the nations. Paul’s response to God’s call is immediate, radical and intense. Because of his radical “conversion”, the persecuted communities of Judea rejoice. Although it is God himself who chose him for a mission to the nations, Paul sought contact with other apostles as well. Indeed, Paul wants to prove to the Galatians that his mission of evangelization is legitimate in the eyes of God and in the minds of the Church authorities in Jerusalem.
The following modern-day account gives insight into Saint Paul’s experience of radical conversion (cf. Elizabeth Sherrill in Guideposts 2014, p. 373).
Mitsuo Fuchida, Japanese Commander: I flew to Japan to meet a man I’d hated for thirty years – the commander who led the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.
Mitsuo Fuchida, a small, erect man of seventy-two, met me at my hotel in Kyoto. As a translator repeated his words, I saw a boy dreaming of serving his divine emperor by driving Western colonial powers out of Asia. “When we lost the war, most of my officers committed suicide. But I had a wife and children.” He moved them to a farm where, as he worked the fields, news of the war crimes trials in Tokyo came over the radio. “It was then I learned about atrocities in our prisoner-of-war camps.” In his eyes, I read the horror and disillusionment of this patriotic man.
It was in a train station that someone handed him a leaflet written by an American ex-prisoner of war. “But … the American wrote that he loved us! The Japanese who’d tortured him!” This was because, the leaflet said, Jesus did.
Fuchida recognized that name: Jesus was one of the gods of the enemy. Fuchida purchased a Bible and, alone in the farmhouse, discovered there were not many gods but One, Who loved all people; Who came to earth not as an emperor but a common workingman; Who said as he was tortured and killed, “Father, forgive them, for they know what they do.”
“Why then … this Jesus had prayed for me too!” Tears trembled in his eyes as he said this. By now I was fighting tears too.
To his countrymen, conversion made him a traitor; he and his wife received death threats. “We do not care. It is better to die and be with Jesus.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we hospitable? Why or why not? In what ways are we Martha? In what ways are we Mary? Is our Christian discipleship characterized by receptivity and true listening to the Word of God?
2. How does Paul’s experience of conversion impact us? Do we believe that we too have been set apart by God for a particular mission in his compassionate saving plan?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Adapted from a prayer composed by Blessed Alberione for the PDDM Sisters)
Come, Jesus Master,
deign to accept the hospitality
we offer you in our heart.
We want to prepare for you
the comfort and the reparation,
which you found in Bethany,
with your two loving disciples, Martha and Mary.
In the joy of welcoming you,
we pray that you may grant to us in our contemplative life
that intimacy which Mary enjoyed,
and the acceptance of our active life
in the spirit of the faithful and hard-working Martha.
Cherish and sanctify us,
as you loved and sanctified the family of Bethany.
In the friendly hospitality of that house
you spent your last days on earth,
preparing for us the gifts of the Eucharist,
of the priesthood,
of your own life.
Jesus Master, Way and Truth, and Life,
grant that we may correspond to this great love
by sanctifying our apostolic services
for the glory of God and the salvation of humanity.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
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(Cf. Opening Prayer, Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul)
God our Father,
you taught the Gospel to all the world
through the preaching of Paul your apostle.
May we who celebrate his conversion to the faith
follow him in bearing witness to your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:42) // “God set me apart and called me through his grace.” (Gal 1:15)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Thank the Lord for the gift of himself and his life-giving Word. Endeavor to translate the Word you have received into your daily living. Continue to meditate on the conversion and mission of Saint Paul the Apostle and let his personal experience impact your life.
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October 9, 2024: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (27); SAINT DENIS, Bishop, AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs; SAINT JOHN LEONARDI, Priest
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Pray … His Grace Is Bestowed Upon Saint Paul”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 2:1-2, 7-14 // Lk 11:1-4
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 11:1-4): “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Today’s Gospel (Lk 11:1-4) presents Jesus praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples asks, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” It is the custom of a rabbi to teach his disciples to pray and John the Baptist has done it. Jesus, the Divine Master, is happy to do it. Prayer is turning the heart toward God. When we pray we enter into a living relationship with God. The Christian disciples intuit that right relationship to the Father and to Jesus can be sought in prayer.
In response to their legitimate request, Jesus teaches his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. It begins with a distinctive address for God – “Abba” – which means “Father”. “Abba” is a term of endearment used by Jewish children for their fathers. The word expresses the most intimate and personal relationship we could imagine of God. In the Jewish scriptures, “Abba” contains also something of what the word “Mother” signifies to us: tenderness, mercy and love. Jesus teaches us to pray first for the glorification of God’s name on earth (“Hallowed be your name”) and the full establishment of his kingdom (“Your kingdom come”). Then he shows us how to present to God our needs – our need for his continual protection and providence day by day and our need for his strength in the “final test”, so as not to succumb to temptation. Jesus underlines, moreover, that our petition for divine forgiveness is deeply linked to our resolve to forgive everyone in debt to us.
The following story illustrates the power of the Lord’s Prayer (cf. Helen Tutt, “A Gentle Prompt” in Guideposts, September 2012, p. 39).
It was nearly midnight. The halls of the hospital were quiet as I started my nursing shift. I flipped through the dayshift report to see which of the patients I would be handling as the charge nurse that night. When I got to one name on the list I froze. Mrs. C. Jackson. It had been years since I heard her name, but I had never forgotten it.
Mrs. Jackson taught second grade in our small Texan town. To my shy, sensitive daughter, Dana, she was a tyrant. Dana had always been a timid little girl. In a group of strangers she could usually be found hiding behind my skirt. But Mrs. Jackson had no patience for shyness. Often when Dana got home from school she would collapse right into my arms, sobbing over some harsh words from her elderly teacher. By the end of the year I disliked Mrs. Jackson just as much as Dana did.
But Mrs. Jackson was my patient now. I was determined to give her the same care I gave everyone else. But as I made my way to her room, all of my old anger came back, worse than ever. What kind of care did Mrs. Jackson ever show Dana? I thought. I stopped outside her door and put a smile on my face. I would show Mrs. Jackson the caring respect I gave to all of my patients, but I certainly wouldn’t have to feel it!
I pushed open the door. Is that really Mrs. Jackson? I wondered. The woman in the bed was so tiny and frail, nothing like the ogre in my memories. I was shocked at the change in her. She had frightened my little girl so much – now she looked completely helpless. Moving to her side, I heard her softly speaking. “And forgive us our …” she whispered. “And forgive us our …” Her forehead creased in frustration. She struggled to remember the words, but remained stuck on the same line.
Instinctively I took both of her hands in mine. “And forgive us our trespasses”, I said. “As we forgive those who trespass against us.” We finished the prayer together. Mrs. Jackson lay back into her pillows. I felt lighter too. My anger and bitterness was gone, carried off with the words I had just spoken. I hadn’t realized how heavy a burden I had carried until God took it away with a simple prayer.
B. First Reading (Gal 2:1-2, 7-14): “They recognized the grace bestowed upon me.”
In today’s First Reading (Gal 2:1-2, 7-14), Saint Paul continues his personal account to the Galatians. Prompted by God and accompanied by Barnabas and Titus, Paul goes back to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas/Peter and other Church leaders fourteen years after his previous visit. In a private meeting with them, he explains the Gospel message that he proclaims to the Gentiles. The leaders recognize that God has given him the task of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, just as he has given Peter the task of preaching the Gospel to the Jews. James, Peter and John acknowledge the grace that God has bestowed upon Paul. They shake hands with him and Barnabas as a sign that they are partners in the Gospel. The leaders in Jerusalem do not make any requirement regarding following Jewish prescriptions. All they ask is that the needy in their group should be remembered, which is exactly what Paul is eager to do. Indeed, solidarity with the poor is a mark of new life in Christ.
Paul accomplishes his objective in Jerusalem, but not all difficulties are resolved. While visiting Antioch, Peter succumbs to the influence of Judaizers and acts in a way that contradicts the universal meaning of the Gospel. Paul rebukes Peter who is clearly wrong. Thus Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, upholds that salvation won through the mediation of Jesus Christ is for all nations. Christians are not required to follow the Mosaic law on circumcision and dietary practices. In order to be saved one does not need to become a “Jew”.
The following story gives insight into Paul’s difficult endeavor to let Christian disciples understand the universal meaning of the Gospel of salvation (cf. Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations, New York: Image Books, 1988, p. 74-75).
An ancient philosopher, dead for many centuries was told that his teachings were being misrepresented by his representatives. Being a compassionate and truth loving individual, he managed, after much effort, to get the grace to come back to earth for a few days.
It took him several days to convince his successors of his identity. Once that was established, they promptly lost interest in what he had to say and begged him to disclose to them the secret of coming back to life from the grave.
It was only after considerable exertion that he finally convinced them that there was no way he could impart this secret to them, and told them that it was infinitely more important for the good of humanity that they restore his teaching to its original purity.
A futile task! What they said to him was: “Don’t you see that what is important is not what you taught but our interpretation of what you taught? After all, you are only a bird of passage, whereas we reside here permanently.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we treasure the Lord’s gift of prayer and do we allow the power of the Lord’s Prayer to transform our life?
2. Like Saint Paul do we realize that God is at work in us by his power and that his grace has been bestowed upon us for a particular mission in God’s saving plan?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Father,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.
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.
“Lord, teach us to pray.” (Lk 11:1) // “They recognized the grace bestowed upon me. “ (Gal 2:9).
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Thank Jesus for teaching us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and make a conscious effort to translate into life the contents of this prayer. Be deeply aware of the grace bestowed upon you by the Risen Lord for the service of his Gospel of salvation to all nations.
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October 10, 2024: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (27)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us Persevering and Trusting Prayer … He Bestows Upon Us the Spirit”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 3:1-5 // Lk 11:5-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 11:5-13): “Ask and you will receive.”
In today’s Gospel (Lk 11:5-13), Jesus Master exhorts us to persevere in prayer and to trust that our prayer to the “Abba” is answered. In the parable of the Friend at Midnight, he tells us that a homeowner locked in for the night and already in bed with his children, obliges to give loaves of bread to an imploring and persistent friend. Through this parable Jesus teaches us to humbly present our needs to God. In contrast to the “sleeping friend” inconvenienced by a midnight request, our Father in heaven never sleeps and is ever ready to help us. God does not have to be cajoled into giving us what we need, but it is fitting that we acknowledge intensely our needfulness for his grace. The exaggerated case of a father giving his children snakes or scorpions drives home the absurdity of thinking of the heavenly Father as harsh and cruel whenever our prayers are not answered. God always responds to our prayers in ways that are best for us, though not always according to our expectation or liking. The loving God wants the best for us - to the point of bestowing upon us the Holy Spirit, his ultimate blessing. Jesus thus encourages us: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Mother Angelica of EWTN gives insight into the meaning of persevering and trusting prayer (cf. Mother Angelica with Christine Allison, “Mother Angelica’s Answers, Not Promises”, New York: Pocket Books, 1987, p. 102-104).
There is such a thing as a persevering prayer, and I want to mention it now so that you can get your head out of “gimme” mentality with God. I’m not saying, “Don’t ask him for things”. I’m simply saying that you might need to ask and ask and ask, and that this might be His way of drawing you closer to Him or of building your faith or of increasing your holiness.
A woman from Louisiana called the live show one evening when our guest was Sister Breige McKenna, who has a healing ministry. The woman had an eleven-year-old boy who was paralyzed from the neck down. “For five years I have prayed for his healing, Mother, and I’ve asked for the courage to stick with it. I’ve received more strength than I ever knew was possible, and I know and believe in my heart that my son is a perfect human being. But should I keep praying for his recovery?”
Sister Breige answered with a story. She told the woman about a family of seven from the Midwest. Their youngest child was a little boy who had a brain tumor. In her beautiful Irish accent, she explained, “The doctors had thrown up their hands. ‘No hope. No hope,’ they said. But the family continued to pray for the boy’s recovery. “Every night before bed they would gather in Tommy’s room and pray for him together. Two years passed, and the boy grew worse. ‘God’s made up His mind’, the father said, and he stopped praying completely. But the mother and the children persevered. Slowly, Tommy started showing improvement. Day by day, he started to get better. And today, he is as normal and healthy a child as you have ever seen. It was the father who told me this story”, Sister Breige continued. “’If Tommy had been healed instantly’, he said, ‘the other children would never have known about the power of prayer and the need for sticking with it. And neither would I.’”
God permitted this child’s condition only because He knew that this family – all seven of them – would be transformed by it. So always keep praying for your needs no matter what. Never, ever stop asking God for His intervention and His mercy. (…)
We all have worries and concerns about ourselves and other people. When there is pain, especially another person’s pain, we want a resolution immediately, and we see only one course of acceptable action. “Take the pain away.” “Help me find a job.” “Bring my wife back.” “Heal my son’s drug problem.” But God is answering your prayer for this resolution in many ways, through many voices and even through Silence. Listen to Him. His answer may not be the answer you want or expect right now, but He is telling you something at this very moment. Open your heart to Him and let Him in.
B. First Reading (Gal 3:1-5): “Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?”
In today’s First Reading (Gal 3:1-5), Saint Paul continues his efforts to make the Galatians see the absurdity of going backward after the experience of “new life” in the Spirit. By a series of rhetorical questions, the apostle wants them to reflect on their past and present lives. The Galatians have already been justified by faith and blessed by God; and all of that independently of the Law. Having received the Gospel of Jesus, the crucified Messiah, they received the Spirit, experienced great things and even performed miracles. Has that “experience” come from legal observance or from faith? The only way Paul can understand how they could turn against their own experience is that they must have been bewitched. The Galatians are indeed foolish to exchange the experience of new life in the Spirit by allowing themselves to be subjugated by the “law of the flesh”, a direct allusion to circumcision.
The following story gives insight into the absurdity that the “foolish Galatians” manifest by succumbing to the influence of the “Judaizers” - those who believe that Gentile converts should observe the Mosaic law (cf. Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations, New York: Image Books, 1988, p. 66).
“What a pretty baby you have there!”
“This is nothing! You should see his photographs!”
Words (and concepts) are indicators, not reflections of reality. But, as the mystics of the East declare, “When the Sage points to the moon, all that the idiot sees is the finger!”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we respond positively to Jesus’ teaching on persevering and trusting prayer? What is our reaction when our prayers do not seem to be answered?
2. Do we allow ourselves to be swayed by false teachings? Are we like the “foolish Galatians” who are absurd in embracing the enslaving message of false teachers?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we thank you for teaching us
persevering and trusting prayer.
Even when our prayers seem unheeded,
we desire to persevere in them.
We trust in you for you act in ways that will be best for us
and for our greater good.
Help us never to reject our “new life” in the Spirit,
the ultimate blessing.
You are our loving 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.
“For everyone who asks receives.” (Lk 11:10) // “Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you have heard?” (Gal 3:2)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today be very conscious of the power of persevering and trusting prayer and of God’s awesome response to our prayer. Carry out a ministry of intercession for the people around you and for today’s fragmented society. Pray for the grace not to be bewitched or seduced by false teachings.
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October 11, 2024: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (27): SAINT JOHN XXIII, Pope
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Exorcises by the Finger of God … He Fulfills Abraham’s Faith”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 3:7-14 // Lk 11:15-26
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 11:15-26): “If it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.”
In today’s Gospel episode (Lk 11:15-26), Jesus drives out a demon from a mute man and cures him of his affliction. But his compassionate act is perceived very negatively. Some accuse him of exorcising through the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Others ask for a further sign to make them believe. Jesus argues that Beelzebul is not so foolish as to allow “infighting” and self-destruction. But rather, the Lord Jesus routs out demons by “the finger of God” and brings about the “in-breaking” of God’s kingdom. Jesus exorcises demons victoriously. He is the “stronger one” who vanquishes the forces of evil. He is the mighty one who deserves our loyalty. With regards to our relation with Jesus, there is no middle ground. Those who are not for him are against him and they scatter. The example of the wandering unclean spirit that brings back seven more wicked spirits to the place originally possessed reinforces the need to commit wholeheartedly to Jesus. If the place vacated by the demon is not incorporated into the kingdom of God, it is still Beelzebul’s and even more susceptible to his domination. To be totally free from “inner demons” we need to belong wholeheartedly to Jesus, who reigns over us.
Mike McGarvin (“Papa Mike”) of the Poverello House in Fresno gives insight into the human struggle to be free from “inner demons” (cf. Poverello News, August 2011, p.1-2).
When a friend handed me an out-of-print book entitled Skid Row Beat, by Loren Christensen, my curiosity was piqued. When my friend explained the author was an ex-cop and a black belt in three martial arts, I was pretty much sold. I started reading and couldn’t put it down. I’m not necessarily recommending the book; it’s definitely not for the faint-of-heart. The author worked a police beat in Portland’s extensive skid-row district for many years. As a rookie policeman, he was shocked by what he saw. In later years as a veteran on the force he was more callused. However, his book makes it clear that he was able to grasp the humanity behind the debris and see humor in some of the revolting situations. (…)
Christensen divided his book into four sections: Sex, Violence, Excretions and Characters. Those categories sum up what I’ve seen down here over the course of almost forty years. Homelessness isn’t pretty, and I’ve gagged many times at the sights and smells I’ve encountered.
There’s only one category that I think the author omitted: Jesus. My entry into Christianity was through the Franciscan perspective. My early training in San Francisco encouraged me to believe that in every food line on skid row, Jesus is mysteriously present.
As Poverello grew, I came into contact with more and more Protestant and Evangelical volunteers. Like the Franciscans, these people believed that Christ was out there among the prostitutes, winos and addicts, but they also were confident about Jesus changing the hearts and minds of people who seemed beyond hope. Some of them were disappointed when they faced the stubborn reality of hopeless resistance to change; others hung in there and nurtured along some miracles.
Finally, I began meeting people from Twelve-Step programs who had faith in a Higher Power. For some of them, that Power was Christ. A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) and N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous) are spiritual programs, and have been responsible for helping countless addicts find recovery, against all odds. Many people who were down and out at Poverello House now have homes, jobs, and happy, purposeful lives thanks to Twelve Step programs. (…)
The Catholics, Protestants and people in A.A. and N.A. changed how I viewed the human destruction of homelessness. Believe me, the ugliness is real, and it’s something that repels many people with good intentions. However, beyond the ugliness, the deeper reality is spiritual. The spiritual reality helps me to realize that each person walking into Poverello House, no matter how physically degraded or emotionally tortured, is a precious child of God. Without that belief, I doubt that I’d have the heart to continue showing up here each day.
B. First Reading (Gal 3:7-14): “Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.”
In today’s First Reading (Gal 3:7-14), Saint Paul continues his argument against the “Judaizers” by citing the Scriptures. Paul has perceived, through the concrete experience of life, the futility of the Law petrified in traditions and institutions, but no longer in the hearts. Jesus has been condemned by the Law to die on the cross and was considered “accursed”. Paul himself in his zeal for the Law persecuted innocent people and approved the stoning of Stephen. Hence, for Paul, salvation and justification cannot come from the Law.
The apostle now presents the story of Abraham to illustrate that the righteousness of the patriarch consists in faith and not in the works of the Law. The true descendants of Abraham are those who, like him, live by faith, and not simply those bound to him by racial ties. All nations will be blessed in him. Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham. Paul likewise underlines the “curse” that the Law imposes – the state of slavery, the fear and dehumanization experienced by those who try to observe the detailed legal prescriptions. By dying on the cross, Jesus Christ frees us from the “curse” of the Law. In Christ, the promise of God to Abraham is fulfilled, namely that the nations will be blessed. Through faith in Christ, we receive the Spirit promised by God.
Two stories here follow: one to illustrate “non-faith” (cf. Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations, New York: Image Books, 1988, p. 62-63) and the other “living faith”, from a message circulated on the Internet.
An atheist fell off a cliff. As he stumbled downward, he caught hold of the branch of a small tree. There he hung between heaven above and the rocks a thousand feet below, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to hold on much longer.
Then an idea came to him. “God!” he shouted with all his might. Silence! No one responded. “God!” he shouted again. “If you exist, save me and I promise I shall believe in you and teach others to believe.”
Silence again! Then he almost let go of the branch in shock as he heard a mighty Voice booming across the canyon. “That’s what they all say when they are in trouble.”
“No, God, no!” he shouted out, more hopeful now. “I am not like the others. Why, I have already begun to believe; don’t you see, having heard your Voice for myself. Now all you have to do is save me and I shall proclaim your name to the ends of the earth.”
“Very well”, said the Voice. “I shall save you. Let go of that branch.”
“Let go of the branch!” yelled the distraught man. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
***
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we trust in the power of Jesus to drive away demons? Do we commit ourselves totally to Jesus and allow him to deliver us from all evil?
2. What does it mean to have the faith of Abraham? Do we try to live by that faith in our daily life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ
who liberates us from the power of sin and evil.
Let your beloved Son-Savior reign in our hearts
that we may be delivered from all that could harm us.
In Jesus Christ we are victorious
and we rejoice in the glory of his name.
Help us to imitate the faith of Abraham
and let us rejoice in the fulfillment of that faith
through your Son Jesus, who died for us on the cross.
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.
“It is by the finger of God that I drive out demons.” (Lk 11:20) // “Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.” (Gal 3:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Humbly turn to Jesus for deliverance from all that could harm us. Be an instrument of compassion and liberation for those in the bondage of sin and evil. Imitate the faith of Abraham by trying to surrender to the divine saving will every moment of your life.
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October 12, 2024: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (27); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Mother Is Greatly Blessed … Through Faith in Him We Become God’s Children”
BIBLE READINGS
Gal 3:22-29 // Lk 11:27-28
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 11:27-28): “Blessed is the womb that carried you. Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
In today’s Gospel episode (Lk 11:27-28), in contrast to Jesus’ detractors who hurl indignities upon him, whom they falsely accuse of diabolic connivance, a woman in the crowd esteems him. She indirectly shows her admiration for Jesus by uttering words of praise for his mother. Jesus delights in her praises, but wants to make their meaning complete. Mary is undoubtedly blessed for having carried him in her womb and for nursing him at her breasts. But in the context of Christian discipleship, in which spiritual relationship is above physical relationship, Jesus asserts that those who hear the word of God and observe it are more blessed. Mary is blessed to be his mother, but as the first and true disciple, she is even more blessed for listening to the word of God and acting upon it.
We too are blessed to have Mary as our mother. Mary continues to teach us conversion of heart and obedience to God’s saving word. The following story circulated on the Internet shows how Mother Mary aids her children in distress.
The Rosary Converts Pompeii from Satanic Influence, Late 1800's
Bartolo Longo was born in 1841 to a devout Catholic family. When Bartolo grew up he decided to study law. Naples at that time was undergoing a tremendous spiritual crisis. Paganism and Satanism of all sorts were abounding. Bartolo was not immune to these influences and became a satanic priest, much to the chagrin of his family who tried their hardest to get him to convert.
As Satanism began to torment his mind, his family convinced him to make a good confession. Alberto Radente, a saintly Dominican priest, helped lead him back to the Catholic faith and encouraged his devotion to the rosary. Bartolo had a miraculous conversion and in 1870, he became a third order Dominican and chose to live a life in penance for all the terrible sins he had committed against the Church.
One day, he nearly succumbed to the sin of despair, feeling that God could never forgive the tremendous sins he had committed against the church. At that moment he received divine inspiration and remembered the Blessed Virgin’s promise that she would help in all their necessities those who propagate her rosary.
He set out to restore the dilapidated chapel at Pompeii and promote the rosary to whoever would listen. Pamphlets about the rosary were distributed to help the people learn to pray this powerful devotion. He tried to find an image of Our Lady of the Rosary worthy of hanging in the chapel, but was only offered a worm-eaten painting with an image that he felt was coarse and not worthy of veneration, however he accepted it from the convent in which it was stored.
As Bartolo continued his work of propagating the rosary, the chapel’s membership grew tremendously and many miracles began to be associated with Our Lady of Pompeii. Cures and spiritual conversions occurred due to the devotions through this new shrine. The people pledged their support to have a large church built that would properly honor Our Lady of the Rosary.
In 1894, Bartolo and his wife gave the church over to the care of the Vatican. The original image found in the convent was restored for the last time in 1965 and Pope Paul VI crowned the heads of Jesus and Mary with diadems given by the people of Pompeii. On October 26, 1980, Bartolo Longo was beatified by John Paul II who called him “the man of the Madonna” and the “Apostle of the Rosary”.
Pray the rosary to receive Our Holy Mother's heavenly aid in saving souls!
B. First Reading (Gal 3:22-29): “Through faith you are all children of God.”
In the First Reading (Gal 3:22-29), Paul explains to the Galatians the meaning of the Law. Like the pedagogue in the ancient times, the Law provided discipline and restraint until the individual reached the age or gains the skill of self-discipline and self-restraint. The Law was in charge until Christ came to justify us with God through faith. Now that the time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge. It is through faith that we are all children of God. Saint Paul makes a beautiful assertion that we are baptized into union with Christ and clothed with the life of Christ himself. So fully are we transformed into Christ that there is no longer the difference between Jews and Gentiles, slave and freeman, male and female among us. We are all now one in Christ Jesus. And if we belong to Christ then we are heirs of Abraham and inherit the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham.
Against this Pauline vision, which is yet to be fully realized in the family of nations, the initiative of Pope Francis to gather the Israeli and Palestinian Presidents and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomaios I in the Vatican Gardens on June 8, 2014, to pray for peace brings us hope. The following are excerpts from the prayers for peace that representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities recited in that encounter (cf. L’Osservatore Romano, June 13, 2014, p. 8).
Jewish Community: Lord of Peace, Divine Ruler, to whom peace belongs! Maker of Peace, Creator of all things! May it be Your will to put an end to war and bloodshed in the world, and to spread a great and wonderful peace over the whole world, so that one nation shall not lift a sword against another nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Help us and save us all.
***
Christian Community: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, harmony; where there is error, truth; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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Muslim Community: Praise to God, merciful, compassionate, king, holy, peace, faith, sovereign, precious, mighty, proud, creator, maker, former. O God, You are peace, and peace is from You, and to You peace returns. You are blessed and You are glorified. O Master of splendor and honor, inspire us, O Lord, with peace and reveal to us peace and make us dwellers in the realm of peace, among those who do not live in fear or sorrow.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What role does Mary carry out in our life? Do we look upon her as truly blessed as the Mother of God and as a true disciple who hears the word of God and keeps it?
2. Do we believe that through faith we are all children of God? What do we do to promote the unity of God’s children?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving Father,
we thank you for Jesus,
your beloved Son and Word made flesh.
We thank you for Mary,
who carried him in her womb
and nursed him at her breasts.
We thank you for her beatitude
as the mother of Jesus and the disciple of the Word.
Help us to imitate Mary
in hearing the Word and acting upon it.
Let Mary guide us in our quest for peace and unity.
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 week. Please memorize it.
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Lk 11:28) // “Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Practice daily Bible reading and meditation that, like Mary, we may learn to hear the word of God and observe it. Pray for the unity of God’s children and do what you can to promote interreligious dialogue.
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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